May 2022
Featured in this insight: Construction, Manufacturing, engineering & industrial
39% of tradeswomen say they’re not taken seriously in the trades industry because of their gender: A recent survey into what it’s like to be a woman in the trades industry has revealed that four in ten tradeswomen feel they’re not taken as seriously as men due to their gender. Furthermore, one in ten say they have been refused jobs because they are a woman.
The study by Rated People polled women in the trades industry about their experiences and how they feel they differ from tradesmen. The survey found that one in seven had personal safety concerns while working.
When looking at which specific job has the most female workers, it was found that eight in ten cleaners are women, with every other profession having more men than women. Just 1% of carpenters and joiners are women, found the survey, with male carpenters getting paid almost double that of a female carpenter.
On the other hand, 8% of the female participants said that they have been able to help female clients who do not feel safe having a tradesman do the work. Three in ten women said they would feel more comfortable hiring a female tradesperson, rather than a male tradesperson.
Although there were over 27,000 searches for painters last year, just 32% of women said they would consider becoming a tradeswoman, compared to 47% of men.
The survey also found that the number of women participating in trade courses has gone up by 27%.
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