Progress isn’t the same as change for women in construction

Last month, I listened to women across construction speak openly about their careers. What stood out wasn’t a lack of progress. It was the gap between progress and change.

More women are entering the industry. More conversations are happening. More leaders are paying attention. And yet, many of the experiences shared felt familiar, not because people were stuck in the past, but because systems haven’t shifted as much as we like to think.

These conversations took place at a women-in-construction gathering, but what was said reflects pressures the industry is already facing more broadly: skills shortages, retention challenges, and the growing loss of experienced people.

Progression slows and sometimes stops in mid-career

Several women spoke about progression becoming harder as their careers developed.

This was especially clear for those in non-technical roles. One woman described reaching her early forties and realising there was no recognised route beyond her discipline. Another spoke about being told she was “too good at what she did” to move on, praise that quietly became a barrier to advancement.

Others described sitting in interviews or progression discussions in front of panels that didn’t reflect them or understand their needs. The issue wasn’t a lack of ability or ambition, but the absence of clear, supported pathways forward.

Recognition is still uneven and often delayed

Recognition came up repeatedly, often in simple, direct language.

One woman put it plainly:

“You have to work twice as hard for half the recognition.”

Others spoke about having to make themselves deliberately, sometimes uncomfortably, visible just to be heard. Asking more questions. Taking up space. Ensuring they were remembered in rooms where attention didn’t naturally fall to them.

One leader reflected on the moment she chose to become intentionally visible - wearing red, asking questions, and making herself impossible to overlook. Not as a branding exercise, but as a survival strategy.

Even then, women questioned whether speaking up meant being listened to, or simply being seen.

Leadership pathways narrow faster than they should

Leadership was discussed less as a clear destination and more as a narrowing funnel.

Several women described unclear or informal routes into senior roles, particularly outside technical pathways. Succession planning, where it existed at all, often relied on informal sponsorship rather than transparent criteria.

Some spoke openly about competition between women, and about environments where support wasn’t guaranteed. Others highlighted the absence of long-term commitment, short-term initiatives without accountability or follow-through.

Where leadership development worked best, it was linked to intentional structures: reverse mentoring, sponsorship, and leaders being willing to listen to lived experience rather than rely on assumptions.

Many women leave in their late forties, not by choice, but by attrition

More than one speaker referenced women leaving the industry in their forties.

This wasn’t framed as a sudden decision, but as the result of cumulative pressure. Years of pushing for recognition, navigating limited progression, and working within systems that don’t adapt.

Health played a significant role in this discussion. Conversations about perimenopause and menopause highlighted how little understanding still exists in many workplaces, despite the wide range of symptoms that can affect energy, focus, sleep and physical wellbeing for years before menopause itself.

Several people commented that, in this context, it’s not surprising women leave when staying requires increasing effort, but support remains static and minimal.

Retention is a leadership issue, not an individual one

What became clear is that retention isn’t about fixing women. It’s about leadership choices and industry conditions.

Women spoke positively about organisations where leaders:

• listened without defensiveness

• supported different life stages

• created flexible, transparent pathways

• and shared power through mentoring and sponsorship

Where those conditions weren’t present, people left quietly, often without being asked why.

The skills shortage the industry is facing can’t be separated from this reality. Experience is being lost not because women lack commitment, but because systems haven’t kept pace with the workforce they could, and should, rely on.

Why this moment matters

The construction industry is under pressure. Demand is growing. Skills are stretched.

At the same time, experienced women, often at the height of their capability, are leaving.

Meanwhile, many women who could be entering these careers remain unaware of the opportunities, and visible role models become harder to find as a result of the systemic failings of this industry. 

The conversations I heard weren’t about blame, but they were honest. They highlighted an industry beginning to understand that inclusion isn’t an add-on. It’s central to sustainability.

Progress matters, but without structural and systemic change, progress alone won’t be enough to keep people.