Gender equality in the construction industry: a case study of Grupo Casais

Abstract

Gender equality in the construction industry is a relevant topic since the sector has historically been male-dominated, and women have, through the years, experienced gender discrimination in this field of work, impediments to the development of their professional careers, and as a consequence, a lack of representation of female leadership in higher positions within construction companies. This project looks at Grupo Casais, a construction firm in Portugal, and the experiences of their female engineers working in the construction industry. For this purpose, a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was carried out as a method of collecting information. The interviews were conducted with female engineers from Grupo Casais of varying age groups and career years. The purpose of this project was to understand and identify the experiences of these women within this particular company. What are their perceptions on issues of gender, practices, and gender equality policies adopted by Grupo Casais? According to the results of the study and the perceptions of the female engineers interviewed, Grupo Casais has made a clear commitment to gender equality and has adopted different steps to boost the participation of women in civil engineering, such as inclusive recruiting efforts and advancement possibilities for women. However, the research noted areas for development, such as the need for additional statistics (since it is of significant importance to have gender profile indicators) on the number of women in the workforce and the need to boost the representation of women in leadership roles, and consequently having policies that abed that promotion. This project also unravels the good practices of the organization, which has a culture of tolerance and respect for equality, as well as a culture that prevents gender discrimination. Overall, the study emphasizes the significance of a diversified strategy for fostering gender equality in the construction sector, as well as the possibility for construction businesses to make substantial progress in this area. In this sense, some measures are proposed so that Grupo Casais can develop practices and policies that can combat gender inequality.