Challenges faced by women in construction: a state-of-the-art review and discusion in the Chilean context

Abstract

Occupational segregation remains an essential challenge for women joining the workforce, especially in the construction industry, which is well known by extreme gender segregation. By addressing the challenge of segregation in construction, not only equal opportunities can be achieved for women, but also construction industry challenges can be addressed, such as the lack of skilled workers or reducing the cost of employees’ turnover. This paper explores the international literature regarding the challenges and barriers women face in the construction industry to compare with the Chilean construction industry. This study found that the Chilean construction has developed initiatives to encourage women in construction, and it is in better standing compared to other Latin American countries, but when compared with developed nations, more initiatives and programs need to be done. More importantly, the existing literature has identified the challenges and barriers faced by women in different regions of the world; however, limited information exists regarding such challenges and barriers in the Chilean context. The importance of discovering and identifying existing challenges faced by women in the Chilean context is that stakeholders from the construction industry and local authorities can develop programs and initiatives, such as attraction and retention programs, tailored to the specific socio-cultural context of the Chilean construction industry.