Inaugural women in construction forum launched
A report released in February by Dalberg, in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and BuildHer, shows that only three per cent of construction artisans in Kenya are women. Kenya has now launched Women in Construction (WIC) forum champion their rights.
What you need to know:
- According to a 2022 report, only three per cent of artisans are women, while a paltry 7.3 per cent of engineers are registered by the Engineers Board.
- Though they are qualified and have the same accreditation, only 15.5 per cent of women are contractors, while only 17 per cent of registered quantity surveyors are women.
Several hurdles still threaten the progress of women in construction, despite the rising number of those pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) fields.
These include being denied a chance to rise to senior management, being sidelined when awarding contracts and operating in harsh working environments, especially for nursing mothers, who have to juggle between working and taking care of their babies.
Also, few of the qualified women in the sector are registered in professional bodies such as the Engineers Board of Kenya and the National Construction Authority (NCA).
According to a 2022 report by Dalber and the International Development Research Centre, only three per cent of artisans are women, while a paltry 7.3 per cent of engineers are registered by the Engineers Board.
Though they are qualified and have the same accreditation as men, only 15.5 per cent of women are contractors, while only 17 per cent of registered quantity surveyors are women.
Remedies
To rectify the situation, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, while launching the inaugural Women in Construction (WIC) forum in Nairobi, promised to lead the journey to have more women, particularly engineers, take up more senior roles in the agencies under his ministry.
The forum brought together women from the engineering, architecture, quantity surveying and construction management sectors to seek ways of improving their welfare and enabling them to climb the corporate ladder.
A 2015 report also showed that out of all construction workers, only 18.7 per cent have undergone formal training, while 81.3 per cent acquired skills through on-job training.
Gender mainstreaming policy
Mr Murkomen said increased women representation will not only ensure diversity at the workplace but also benefit the entire industry. As such, the CS said the government, through ministries, departments and agencies, has adopted a gender mainstreaming policy to help tackle gender-based discrimination and address gender-specific workspace needs.
He added that the policy also calls for the one-third gender rule within its human resource practice, which should be reflected across all employment cadres. “We are committed to working with both men and women to attain gender equity in the workplace and promote women empowerment and their involvement in driving the economy,” he said.
For nursing mothers, Mr Murkomen called for the actualisation of best practice and legislation such as establishing rooms within workstations to “provide a private, hygienic and fully equipped space for breastfeeding mothers to attend to their needs”.
For her part, Harriette Chiggai, the President’s Advisor on Women Affairs, termed the forum a big milestone for the women in construction, as it brought them together to transform the sector that contributes more than five per cent of Kenya’s gross domestic product.
“Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, the construction industry, like any other male-dominated sector of the economy, has changed globally to accommodate women. There are a lot more women in the construction sector than it was before,” she said.
Economic benefits
To boost the economy, Ms Chiggai said the sector, which cuts across every other industry, must be taken seriously as it benefits the entire country.
“It is on the back of the achievements of millions of women, including those in this room, that we are literally building a better country and making inroads in gender equality and accelerating the gender parity of matters of economic development,” she said.
To realise the dreams of women in construction, the government, CS Murkomen said, is working to enforce compliance with the 30 per cent policy on access to government procurement opportunities requirement for youths, women and persons living with disability.
NCA acting chairperson Mercy Okiro said that whereas it was important to encourage more women to join Stem careers, their progression to the top should be guaranteed so that they, too, get the full experience of what it means to be leaders in technical sectors.
Kenya National Highways Authority chairperson Winfrida Ngumbi said women in construction still have a long way to go but are all determined to etch out their own spaces in their workplaces.
“I hope that we start a mentorship programme through this forum that will help women in the construction sector to better their skills and be the beacons of hope for the young women considering to join, or are just joining, the workforce,” she said.
