The National Association for Women in Construction (NAWIC) has reflected on 2024 as a year of meaningful progress — but one that also reinforced how far the industry still has to go. With women representing approximately 13% of the construction workforce and only around 3% working on the tools, the gap between aspiration and reality remains stark.
“Representation of women in the sector is slowly increasing, but nowhere near fast enough,” said NAWIC President Colleen Upton. “When there are huge skills shortages, why do we not look at half of the population? They can and will do these jobs.”
Awards Night: A Room Full of Possibility
NAWIC’s annual awards night — held in late 2024 with over 550 attendees — was one of the highlights of the year. The event recognises outstanding women across all sectors of the construction industry, from tradespeople and engineers to project managers, architects, and health and safety professionals. Naylor Love has been a long-standing major sponsor of the awards, which Upton says makes a genuine difference to the event’s reach and quality.
“The atmosphere in the room was electric,” Upton said. “It connects women from all aspects of the industry, and the mahi being done by wahine in construction is genuinely inspiring.”
The Persistent Challenges
NAWIC has been direct about the structural barriers women still face in the industry. Colleen Upton highlighted basic workplace needs — specifically, the absence of suitable toilet facilities including sanipods on many construction sites — as a continuing issue in 2024. That this remains a conversation in 2024 reflects how slowly some things change.
Flexible working hours and parental leave are other areas where the industry lags. NAWIC is working to bring together the “Women In…” groups across different sectors to develop coordinated advocacy on these issues, recognising that change requires industry-wide pressure rather than company-by-company negotiation.
Looking Ahead
NAWIC’s plans for 2025 include expanding its chapter network, developing mentoring programmes, and increasing its presence in schools to encourage young women to consider construction careers. The association is also stepping up its engagement with principal contractors on workplace culture — because, as Upton notes, feeling safe and welcome is a prerequisite for showing up.
“We want to welcome men to feel included in our functions — this is not anti-men. We are thankful to those men who support us and stand alongside us in advocating for a more equitable industry.”