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Women In Construction Week

Mar 09, 2021

Join us in celebrating Women in Construction Week March 7-13, 2021! Hosted annually by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), this an opportunity for Marx|Okubo to honor women in construction (WIC) in our regional offices and communities.

Did you know women working in construction count for approximately 1.5% of the U.S. workforce? While women in the U.S. earn on average 81.1% of what men make, the gender pay gap is significantly smaller in construction occupations, with women earning on average 99.1% of what men make.

While that’s positive news, there are plenty of ways that women could be further supported in the field. To find out what professional construction women need on the job site, Marx|Okubo was recently tasked with surveying WIC on behalf of a client who is particularly interested in bringing greater inclusivity to the jobsite.

While the responses were incredible insightful, one simple request was especially telling: A female foreman stated that standard-issue gloves didn’t fit her hands, let alone any of the women on her project. And hands are particularly important in construction, right?

So how can we support the future of WIC? How about something as basic as having work gloves available in smaller sizes. Not only did our client order all female workers right-sized gloves, leaders gifted the women construction hoodies to show their appreciation.

In addition to hosting Women in Construction Week, NAWIC offers members at 115 nationwide chapters education, support and networking to help advance their construction careers, build technical skills and become leaders.

All WIC, including women builders in the trades, project management, marketing, administration, and executive leadership, are eligible for membership. Women who work in construction-related business or complementary industries, such as what we do in construction consulting at Marx|Okubo, are welcome as well.

How is your organization planning to acknowledge Women in Construction Week?

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Marx|Okubo is a national architecture/engineering/construction consulting firm that works with real estate owners, investors and lenders—at every point of the property lifecycle—to evaluate their building projects, solve complex challenges and implement tailored solutions. We help clients understand their projects’ complexities, so they can make more informed decisions and, ultimately, mitigate their risk.