Paving the way for Nigerian women in construction
By Annabel Rusbridge-Thomas, Adam Smith International
Construction isn’t a sector often associated with female workers, but women and girls in Nigeria are tackling gender stereotypes and breaking patriarchal norms to reach their professional goals.
“When I told my friends I was going to become a tiler they laughed. They asked me, “How are you going to do it, how are you, a woman, going to do a man’s work?” When men found out, they made a mockery of me and said, “Where are you going to get the strength, you think tiling is kitchen work?” but I just laughed and told them women can do it, and women can do it better.” Juliet is a 19-year-old woman from Abuja, Nigeria. She embodies a new era of Nigerian women who are ‘smashing the glass ceiling’ of the Nigerian construction sector — a catalyst for job creation.
Building, painting, tiling and welding are just some of the many trades in the construction sector traditionally dominated by males. Construction plays a huge part in the world’s economy, but in the UK women make up just 11% of the workforce. Many of these roles are office-based, with around only 1% present on site. In the US approximately 8% of more than 9 million people working in the sector are female and in Nigeria, a country with a population of approximately 180 million, less than 10% of craft and trade level employees are women. Why? Hostility, stereotypes of women’s capabilities, unequal pay, family commitments and a lack of available training are all factors contributing to the minimal number of women employed in the sector.
But girls and women in Nigeria are tackling socio-cultural norms and constructing their own future. With the support of the Growth and Employment in States (GEMS3) programme, funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), females as young as 16 are being trained in a new trade, improving their economic opportunities. For many it’s a career path, for others it’s a way of funding further education, and for some, it’s a way of proving their abilities in a sector historically unaccommodating for women. Some of the girls and women being trained by the Construction Skills Training and Empowerment Project (C-STEmp), discuss how immersing themselves in the sector has strengthened their determination to improve their future economic opportunities:
Juliet recently finished her secondary education, and with aspirations of becoming a doctor began training in tiling to fund further education. “The biggest challenge entering this sector is gender discrimination, sometimes when I go out to try and work, men think you can’t do it, so they won’t teach you. But I’ll keep going. When I first came to training I didn’t have much passion, but C-Stemp brought out this passion in me.”
Faith is just 16-years-old, but is becoming a trained painter in-between her studies to provide herself with better economic opportunities in the future. “Gender is a huge issue, to men we can’t carry what they can carry, we can’t do what they can do but to me, that is a lie. I tell men, let me try and you will see. I have the courage to continue, I tell my friends the advantages and impact on your life having any trade can have. In the future I will continue to train women in painting, to open up an opportunities.”
Halirat, 18, and Bridget, 20, started their training as electricians after finishing school. Both had never considered entering the construction sector before, but were determined to learn their own trade to empower them in later life. “With my training I want to continue on to be an engineer. Going into a job interview being able to say I am trained in this handwork, will give me an advantage and increase my chance of employment within the sector,” Bridget explained.
Uzo is close to becoming a fully qualified tiler, but is well aware of the employment challenges facing women. “It is difficult getting jobs, because they are going to be comparing you with a man. But when you prove them wrong, then the sky is your limit.” Uzo’s experience of discrimination in her new trade doesn’t stop her travelling 480 miles by car from her home every week, to continue her training. “Men say, you’re a woman, you can’t do it. Sometimes you have to just smile and tell yourself I am going to do it no matter what. We are all workers, we are not men, we are not women, once you are in the field you are there to work. I have big dreams, I want more women with me in this sector so they can have better opportunities in the future.”
Etim is 26-years-old and has been working towards becoming an engineer her entire life. “There will always be a demand for construction, I want to enter the sector to provide myself with good opportunities for the future. It is difficult, I’ve had to prove my ability to do the work. The government need to encourage more women in the sector, they need to pay them the same as men. I want to enlighten more people into learning a trade, and tell them the impact it can have on your life.”
Across the world more and more women are improving their economic opportunities by becoming empowered in trade and business, but there’s still a long way to go. Encouraging the growth of women in business not only improves the livelihoods of millions, it impacts business and economy worldwide. Collaboration is key to progress. Changing the culture of corporations, promoting positive female role models and encouraging linkages between international businesses are just some of the ways we can ensure better job opportunities and improved working conditions for the world’s most marginalised women.
Construction training is provided by the Construction Skills Training and Empowerment Project (C-STEmp), an initiative of J Hausen Ltd., supported by GEMS3.
GEMS3 is improving Nigeria’s business environment through reforms in the areas of land, tax and investment. So far, more than 3 million enterprises and households have benefited and registered an increase in their incomes; 1,200,000 enterprises and households recorded savings of up to 15% of their income, more than 80,000 business have benefited from the cheaper, faster business registration process developed by GEMS3 and the programme has saved female beneficiaries a total of 169,000,000 GBP.
GEMS3 is implemented by Adam Smith International.