Historically, the construction industry has been one of the most male-dominated industries in the world. However, in recent years, there has been a greater focus on promoting diversity and inclusion. Women have been breaking down barriers and making significant contributions to the industry, and Women in Construction Week is an opportunity to celebrate these achievements.
WIC Week at Gilbane
Gilbane’s empoWer employee resource group (ERG), dedicated to the advancement of women, has planned numerous events for people across the company to participate in. These events help to promote the advancement of women in the industry, take time to recognize those for their hard work, and to raise awareness about the importance of diversity and inclusion.
Guest Speakers
To highlight two of our exciting companywide events:
- On Monday, guest speakers Debbie Knapman and Kineret Kandelker from Roger Williams University Center for Counseling and Student Development will host a virtual webinar on Sexism, Racism, and Economic Inequality. We know we should all be equal, but we also know we have a long way to go to achieve this goal. From this webinar, we’ll learn how we can all be better allies in 2023.
- On Wednesday, Girls for a Change CEO Angela Patton will join us via a companywide virtual webinar to discuss the mission and programming of her organization. Girls for a Change is a non-profit that focuses on the development of self-identifying Black girls as leaders and change-makers across the Greater Richmond Metro Area. Their programs teach participants to understand the world they live in, advocate for their rights, and exercise agency over their lives through a continuum approach and creative platforms.
On a local level, there are also many more events, webinars, discussions, and celebrations focused on highlighting the many contributions of women in our business happening for our people to take part in person.
A Call for Recognition
To celebrate and recognize the women of Gilbane during this week, our leadership teams have nominated women in their divisions who have had a profound impact on their projects, co-workers, offices, or communities. We’ve captured videos of these nominees sharing their stories and perspectives on being a woman in the industry, giving advice to the future generation of woman builders, and more. These videos are featured throughout the week on our intranet and on our social media channels.
Volunteering in the Community
As part of WIC Week, the empoWer planning subcommittee felt it was important to reinforce the company’s incentive of giving back to the Community. We are encouraging employees to use VTO (Volunteer Time Off) to give back to the community, notably with organizations that work to help build up women. We also recognize that women at Gilbane already offer their time with organizations like Martha’s Kitchen, Girls for a Change, The Forward Foundation, SheBuilds, YOLO Food Bank, ReThreaded, and much more regularly. We look forward to those who will share their stories.
Pay Parity at Gilbane
Gilbane has made establishing pay parity a priority. Working with a third-party compensation consultant, we’ve conducted analyses to ensure we have pay equity based on comparable work. In the U.S., we’ve achieved pay equity with respect to race, ethnicity, and gender. In addition, we will continue to conduct this analysis on an ongoing basis to ensure that pay equity is maintained.
Closing Thoughts
Despite the progress that has been made in recent years, there is still a long way to go in creating equity in our industry. It is crucial to continue promoting diversity in the construction industry, for it is our differences that make project teams stronger than ever before. It is all our part to encourage more women to pursue careers in construction. Women in Construction Week is an important event that helps us do this each year. By working together, we can create a more inclusive and sustainable construction industry that benefits everyone.
