Historically, construction has been a male-dominated industry. Not because men set out to exclude women, but because culture and habit shaped an expectation around who was ‘supposed’ to work in the field.
Even while job roles are technically gender-neutral, messaging still seeps in, with boys encouraged toward trades and girls nudged toward office roles by schools, families and society. In 2023, Women’s Equality Network Wales reported that construction was one of the three most gender-segregated sectors in Wales.
If we don’t call that out, and follow it up with action, it continues quietly.
Why women’s perspectives matter, and how they’re influencing our work
Women don’t bring a ‘better’ perspective; they bring a different one, which matters hugely in a male-dominated environment. Championing women in maintenance means asking questions about their lived experience.
At Llanw, we recognise the gender imbalance across certain roles, which means we’re responsible for doing something about it.
Here’s what that’s looked like for us:
But this work doesn’t stop internally, we’ve also:
We were really proud to see Tai Pawb recognise these efforts in their Women in Trades and Maintenance Good Practice Guide last month.They said:
“Llanw has placed a strong emphasis on mentoring, wellbeing support, and addressed workplace culture openly and honestly, encouraging male colleagues to reflect on the conditions they would want women in their own lives to work in.
“Llanw has improved access to PPE designed for women and used procurement and contract management to promote meaningful EDI practice, rather than tick-box exercises.”
Knowing we’re on the right path strengthens our commitment to continue this meaningful work.
The Power of Representation
A female trade recently told us she had a university lecturer who came from a site-based background, and seeing a woman who had walked that path mattered. It made the possibility real. She also shared that in interviews, she asks companies directly about their equality and inclusion policies.
We know representation matters, so we want to highlight the work of our female trades and apprentices to show that we welcome women at Llanw.
Last year, we were lucky enough to film our apprentice, Kaityln, on the job, and she spoke encouragingly about how customers have reacted positively to seeing her show up at their homes.
We’re fortunate that at Llanw, we have strong female and male leaders who support colleagues like Kaitlyn to thrive.
Sian Macnamara, Business Support Manager said:
“At Llanw, we’re proud to be on the journey toward gender equality and equity. By learning openly and sharing our lived experiences, we’re helping shape the conversation around women in construction. From the start, we’ve been honest about our blind spots and committed to improving – because real progress comes from openness, collaboration and supporting each other across the industry.”
This month, we’re proud to send a clear message – no woman should ever feel a door is closed because of her gender!
