By Whitney Murrie, Co-Chair, Women in Trades NZ

With Aotearoa New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit, we need skilled people to deliver – and women are vital to a successful future.

Although Aotearoa New Zealand is facing an infrastructure deficit, we’re still grappling with low numbers of women in the sector (13 per cent), especially on the tools (2.5 per cent). Why is that? Once women enter the sector, is the industry doing enough to retain them? What progress has been made, and what still needs to change?

To explore these questions, we surveyed 15 women across various roles and interviewed industry leaders. Below, we share their perspectives, expand on some common themes, and suggest solutions to help maintain and accelerate progress.

More women in the sector is a win-win

It’s genuinely inspiring to see the country’s infrastructure sector enthusiastically hire more women and, in turn, those women stepping up to deliver impactful projects and promote the industry to others. Women in Trades has witnessed this firsthand through the increasing presence of contractors encouraging infrastructure career paths at our events, even in the face of hiring freezes and pipeline uncertainty. What’s clear to everyone is that hiring women is a win-win. We often hear from employers that women are highly valued – capable, intelligent and important to the sector’s success.

Women, too, find their work rewarding. As one woman shared, ‘Contributing to projects that enhance public spaces, improve transportation, or support essential services gives me a sense of accomplishment. The nature of the industry is engaging – every project brings new challenges, requiring innovative solutions and collaboration.’

Yet, challenges persist for women entering and navigating the sector. As another woman said, ‘It’s still tough out there; those going into the trades need to know what they are up against.’

Excited for the future, but progress is slow

When we asked women about their experiences, most agreed that things have improved. It’s a good time for women to join infrastructure, thanks to some employers’ efforts to create safer, more inclusive environments; however, key themes from the survey highlighted areas needing improvement. These areas include:

• harassment and gender bias
• ill-fitting personal protective equipment (PPE)
• inadequate site toilets and a lack of sanitary disposal bins
• under-representation of women in leadership positions
• lack of growth opportunities and unequal pay
• limited options for flexible working
• a need for more structured mentorship opportunities.

As one woman put it, ‘There has been a positive cultural change towards women in trades in the last several years, but there is still a long way to go.’ 

More concerning are the comments from women who said that there is ‘still strong resistance to change in senior management’. Additionally, the high attrition rate among Māori and Pasifika women highlights the ongoing need for targeted support and retention strategies. For many, the cultural shift we need to see is slow and doesn’t receive enough support from senior leadership.

Beyond physical health and safety

While physical safety is generally well-managed, women felt that more needs to be done to address psychological safety. As one female health and safety leader explains, ‘from an industry perspective, physical safety is generally well-addressed’; however, there is ‘still a gap when it comes to psychological safety. Anti-harassment and anti‑bullying policies exist, but they are inconsistently applied’.

Among our survey participants, five reported experiencing or witnessing harassment. This mirrors findings from ConCOVE Tūhura, which notes that sexual harassment is more prevalent in the construction industry than bullying or racial discrimination, with 30 per cent of employees experiencing it in the past five years. Moreover, we know it goes massively unreported, and the most common response to harassment and gendered incivility is not to act but to leave employment.

Reportedly, some employers hesitate to hire women due to concerns about the potential for harassment claims or feel ill-equipped to change behaviours within their teams, further complicating efforts to address these issues head-on.

We need to foster a culture of respect and zero tolerance, while also providing clear mechanisms for reporting and addressing inappropriate behaviour. ConCOVE Tūhura’s recent publication, Creating a Theory of Change for a Bystander Culture in Construction and Infrastructure,highlights the need for shared responsibility in calling out inappropriate behaviour. To kickstart change, Tradeswomen Australia now offers gender diversity, bystander and unconscious bias training. These aren’t finger-pointing exercises; they are designed to spark open, constructive conversations.

Functional PPE to do our jobs safely

Gear that is too big or ill-fitting for women’s bodies remains an issue. You’ll have to make do if you’re pregnant. Women aren’t asking for ‘pinkified’ versions – just gear that fits properly so they can do their jobs safely. Purchasing from suppliers who provide tailored PPE, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all options, is one solution.

Site toilets are not just women’s problem

No matter who we talk to, site toilets are still a hot topic. While we applaud companies that have made improvements – such as providing bins and offering free sanitary products – smaller pre-construction teams, like scaffolding crews, often lack these facilities.As one tradeswoman put it, ‘workplace toilet standards still suck’, adding that the responsibility for providing gender‑neutral portaloos and running water isn’t being placed on business owners.

It’s not just women; men also avoid filthy site toilets. Workers risk their health by waiting until they get home to use the bathroom (leading to chronic urinary tract infections) or dehydrating themselves. The lack of proper disposal options also forces people to discard sanitary items in site bins or take them home.

A potential solution is to ask women what they need or include adequate site facilities, including gender-neutral portaloos and sanitary bins, as line items in procurement contracts. Better solutions also exist – trailer facilities with running water are commonplace at public events, why not at construction sites?

Retaining and lifting women is as important as recruitment

Women also highlighted facing gender biases (such as the male apprentice being mistaken for the foreman), unequal pay and the desire for career growth. As one woman shared, ‘there is a noticeable lack of support and guidance for women who want to grow in the sector’. Work-life balance was also raised, particularly in large-scale projects with tight deadlines, where the demands can be overwhelming for parents.

Breaking into leadership roles can be tough for women, and once they get there, it is ‘lonely at the top’. As one woman noted, ‘there have been concerted efforts by some employers to make the industry more inclusive and attractive to women, but some contractors still struggle with prejudiced attitudes and a lack of support from management’.

To address these challenges, several women highlighted the need for ‘strong network support for women’, calling for more formal mentorship programs and peer support systems to help women navigate and thrive in the industry.

Maintaining momentum means joint deliberate effort

The progress we’ve made in increasing women’s participation in the infrastructure sector is promising, but it’s fragile. We cannot afford to become complacent. We need to adequately fund institutions like ConCOVE Tūhura, which is vital for researching issues and proposing solutions, and maintain weighted broader social outcomes in requests for proposals. Reverting to lowest-price-conforming procurement models risks sidelining social initiatives that foster diversity, undoing years of progress. Simply ‘leaving it up to the market’, as one minister suggested, is not enough.

Our Tasman mates have figured it out. New South Wales, in Australia, has seen early success, with AUD$20.2 million invested in its Women in Construction program, leading to increased participation and retention on pilot sites. Women in construction trade apprenticeships have already increased from one per cent to to 2.5 per cent. Queensland’s AUD$3.5‑million investment has similar goals. We should do this, too. 

To ensure tangible outcomes, there must be a conscious joint effort by government, contractors, and industry to help women overcome barriers to entry and implement strategies for change so they can thrive. 

Women in Trades NZ is a 100 per cent not-for-profit organisation, run by volunteers, that promotes trades and trades training as a viable career option to women and employers.

Image courtesy of Women in Trades.