Women in Construction: Towards a More Equal, Diverse, and Inclusive Built Environment Sector

This edited book aims to provide a collection of scientific evidence on gender issues in the construction industry that contributes to discussions on equality, gender diversity, and inclusion in the built environment; it also provides baseline data for policy design and future research on women in the built environment.

Presenting research findings from Africa, India, and Australia, the aims of this book are broad and it begins with an assessment of the gender-based challenges in the construction sector from the perspective of two generations of women. It goes on to discuss the issues affecting the recruitment and career progression of women in construction and also to proffer solutions to the low turnout of women in the construction industry. Further chapters cover issues on the retention and persistence of women in the sector despite the perceived gender-rooted challenges. Research into female leadership in the construction industry is also presented in this book with specific focus on the management of construction sites, quantity surveying practice, and digital leadership. This book ends with a discussion on the impact of gender consideration on the sustainability of construction businesses, accessibility of housing finance, and infrastructure provisions such as markets.

The research in this book is key reading for scholars of construction management, gender studies, and DEI and the workplace.

Patience Tunji-Olayeni is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Building Technology, Covenant University, Nigeria. She is the Convener of the Women Academics in Construction (WAiC) Network, a capacity-building platform mainly for women and postgraduate students in the built environment.

Clinton Aigbavboa is a Professor of Sustainable Human Development at the Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. At this university, he is also the Director of the CIDB Centre of Excellence and Sustainable Human Settlement and Construction Research Centre.

Abimbola Windapo is a Professor at the Department of Construction Economics and Management, University of Cape Town, with more than 35 years of experience in practice, teaching, and research in the construction industry and projects. She is a C2-rated researcher with the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. She is also a registered member of the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP), a member of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), and a fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB).

Ayodeji Oke is an Associate Professor at the Department of Quantity Surveying, Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria. He is also their Team Leader of the Research Group on Sustainable Infrastructure Management plus (RG-SIM+).