Analysing Gender Issues in the Australian Construction Industry through the Lens of Empowerment
Gender equality at work in male-dominated industries is conditioned by intrinsic systemic issues which established policies have, to a significant extent, failed to address, as women’s participation remains under-represented. This study argues for the reappraisal of the issue through a different len...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/11/553 |
| _version_ | 1797511045650055168 |
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| author | Cynthia Changxin Wang Eveline Mussi Riza Yosia Sunindijo |
| author_facet | Cynthia Changxin Wang Eveline Mussi Riza Yosia Sunindijo |
| author_sort | Cynthia Changxin Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gender equality at work in male-dominated industries is conditioned by intrinsic systemic issues which established policies have, to a significant extent, failed to address, as women’s participation remains under-represented. This study argues for the reappraisal of the issue through a different lens and carries out a systematic and thematic review of the literature on women in construction in Australia through a women’s empowerment framework. Despite its usual application in gender inequality at work in development studies, the concept of empowerment lacks attention in the context of developed countries, particularly regarding the construction industry. Empowerment has been proved a useful overarching framework to analyse personal, relational, and environmental factors affecting women’s ability to be or do. In the examined studies, there is significant focus on external barriers to women in construction, such ‘organisational practices’ (environmental), ‘support’ and ‘others’ attitudes and behaviour’ (relational). There is, however, limited attention to more active stances of power, such as one’s attitude (personal), control and capacity, in shifting power dynamics. The paper draws seven major findings, covering personal, relational and environmental dimensions, supported and supplemented by some international studies, and suggests the way forward for empowering women in construction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:39:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa189794a0b94c35aac400d66b967726 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:39:52Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa189794a0b94c35aac400d66b9677262023-11-22T22:40:11ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092021-11-01111155310.3390/buildings11110553Analysing Gender Issues in the Australian Construction Industry through the Lens of EmpowermentCynthia Changxin Wang0Eveline Mussi1Riza Yosia Sunindijo2School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaSchool of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaSchool of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaGender equality at work in male-dominated industries is conditioned by intrinsic systemic issues which established policies have, to a significant extent, failed to address, as women’s participation remains under-represented. This study argues for the reappraisal of the issue through a different lens and carries out a systematic and thematic review of the literature on women in construction in Australia through a women’s empowerment framework. Despite its usual application in gender inequality at work in development studies, the concept of empowerment lacks attention in the context of developed countries, particularly regarding the construction industry. Empowerment has been proved a useful overarching framework to analyse personal, relational, and environmental factors affecting women’s ability to be or do. In the examined studies, there is significant focus on external barriers to women in construction, such ‘organisational practices’ (environmental), ‘support’ and ‘others’ attitudes and behaviour’ (relational). There is, however, limited attention to more active stances of power, such as one’s attitude (personal), control and capacity, in shifting power dynamics. The paper draws seven major findings, covering personal, relational and environmental dimensions, supported and supplemented by some international studies, and suggests the way forward for empowering women in construction.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/11/553construction industrywomengender equalityempowerment |
| spellingShingle | Cynthia Changxin Wang Eveline Mussi Riza Yosia Sunindijo Analysing Gender Issues in the Australian Construction Industry through the Lens of Empowerment Buildings construction industry women gender equality empowerment |
| title | Analysing Gender Issues in the Australian Construction Industry through the Lens of Empowerment |
| title_full | Analysing Gender Issues in the Australian Construction Industry through the Lens of Empowerment |
| title_fullStr | Analysing Gender Issues in the Australian Construction Industry through the Lens of Empowerment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysing Gender Issues in the Australian Construction Industry through the Lens of Empowerment |
| title_short | Analysing Gender Issues in the Australian Construction Industry through the Lens of Empowerment |
| title_sort | analysing gender issues in the australian construction industry through the lens of empowerment |
| topic | construction industry women gender equality empowerment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/11/553 |
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