“Did we remember to Pack the Toilet Paper”
Bring Your Own Toilet Paper: What It’s Like To Be a Woman in Construction
Happy Women’s History Month, everyone! Did you know that this week, March 5th through the 11th, is Women in Construction Week? Construction is an infamously male-dominated industry, with women making up only 10.9% of construction workers in the US, and that’s the highest percentage ever.
With this gradual incline of women joining the construction industry, the culture of the field has begun to change into less of a boy’s club. “I have been working in the construction industry for around 15 years,” says our Owner, Jennefra Angulo, “and I have slowly started to see a gradual shift towards accepting women. When I walk onto a job site and see another woman in a place of power, there is no better feeling. It makes me feel like what I am doing is important.”
Despite these signs of progress, the field hasn’t done a total 180. Many worksites still don’t keep women in mind when it comes to day-to-day necessities on the job, “I still have to ask construction sites to unlock the women’s bathroom and I always bring my own toilet paper to jobs, so there is still plenty more to do,” says Jenn. Since construction is still such a male dominated field, progress is definitely happening slower than other industries; only in the past few years have we seen more companies design PPE (personal protective equipment such as harnesses) with women’s bodies in mind. Well fitting PPE is essential to the safety of women on the job, as loose straps can get caught on things or be a tripping hazard.
Though sometimes these slow changes can be frustrating, it’s rewarding to see progress being made, and women in the field being respected. “It’s amazing when the men working around a mainly women dominated crew slowly start to realize that we are not to be messed with, as we can run circles around them." It’s refreshing to see men—even those who have been in the industry for a long time—see female construction workers as workers who are skilled in their craft and ready to get the job done
