WOMEN IN NIGERIA’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
While the world is evolving, women continue to remain underrepresented at every level and are still lagging behind when it comes to leadership roles.
The architecture profession, a vibrant noble profession, and other professionals in the construction industry have been marching for equal rights and fighting for their rightful place in the Nigerian society.
In the construction industry less than 15% women are professionals, and only 2% of them are working on construction sites. This figure needs to change, we need to do better. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, especially being a woman. Women need to continue to pursue excellence and remain committed, our prestige need to be returned, then we’ll get our commensurate reward.
Professional women are contributing to Nigeria’s construction industry and its GDP, but all of sudden the economy is a challenge. Getting government projects is difficult, while a lot of abandoned projects are not being delivered. Ab initio you’ll be penalised if you fail to deliver. It is very discouraging, and its affecting practice.
For a woman in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, it is even more challenging, because you’re doing twice as much. Right from school the men dominate the class. Girls are very few; in a class you may have one or two girls, so you are in the minority. And in assignments you need more energy, boys naturally have it so you are competing and when you come out of school the story is not different.
Coming to the field is the same, nobody will favour you because you’re a woman. And the reason is not far-fetched; the problem is largely from the society and partly from the women themselves. It is perception, that some jobs are meant for men while some are for women because they are weak. It could also be cultural; in some parts of the country women are not supposed to be exposed.
Women need to be encouraged, it’s the way they’re wired, but the women are not given the chance. Some are even discouraged, by family, friends, and others. There’s the stereotype, consciously or not, and it gets to the girl or woman.
In the office environment, it may be subtle but it’s there. So you have to work twice as hard as men before your work can be appreciated. You have to constantly prove yourself. Nobody will give you your right, you have to demand for it. And not by mouth but what you can do, show competence, and creativity.
Consideration should be given to working mothers. For employers, business and work must continue; they try to be nice but the burden is there, and it has not changed.
You take children to school, take care of the husband. To balance work time, its strenuous as a woman. And then you have the monthly menstruation, managing yourself, your family and work: these are things women professionals have to deal with, so they should be appreciated more and encouraged, not pampered.
This way women would be attracted to professionalism, they have a lot to offer. In the next decade the target is that we hope to move from 15% to 25%.
Yemi Sola-Adebiyi, Chair, Nigerian Institute of Architects, Abuja Chapter
