Therefore, we have to begin changing that socialisation process and it has to start in the home and the schools,” said Labout Minister Dr. Virginia Albert-Poyotte concerning the mass entry of women in the construction sector.

The Minister says women can be invaluable in the construction sector if they have adequate training and education.

A lack of training, she notes, has left women to settle for “softer jobs”. Commenting on a possible labour crisis in the economy, the Minister says more skills development seminars are needed to drive positive economic participation.

“I am of the view that there are too many women who have settled for the softer jobs and the low paying jobs because most women settle for housekeeping and caregiving, they are involved in the STEP and cutting grass, and they do not see construction as an area because they have not been trained,” she said.

Minister Virginia Albert-Poyotte highlighted the evolving landscape of the construction industry, noting that technological advancements have opened up opportunities for women to participate without needing to engage in physically demanding manual labour.

“Construction isn’t as heavy lifting as people make it sound like. We have to start shifting the stereotype and then we show them the money. You don’t have to lift up how many bags of cement. We felt that we needed to open the door to allow women who want to go into construction to participate,” she said

The government has named 2024 the “Year of Infrastructure”, with multiple national projects in the pipeline as well as the promise of a stimulated construction economy.

The Minister’s calls come when contractors are seeking engineers, designers and labourers inside the country instead of importing them.