Women Can Build participated in the presentation of ‘Foundations of Equality’, a strategic alliance promoted by the CSCAE 2030 Observatory, the Spanish Association of Executives and Directors EJE&CON, BMI Group and Association of Civil Engineers.

On 13 November, the ‘Foundations of Equality’ meeting was held at the Association of Civil Engineers at Madrid, with the aim of promoting the commitment of companies and construction entities to develop gender policies, including the promotion of women to management positions. The organization invited the European project Women Can Build, as a case of success, to participate in the round table of the event to address the current situation of women professionals in the sector.

Beatriz Oliete, Senior Project Officer for International Projects at Fundación Laboral de la Construcción and in charge of this initiative, added the point of view on training and the visibility of women in the building site: “If trying to achieve gender balance and equality in the sector, in general, is a big challenge, achieve it in the trades is even more complicated”. Women’s barriers to some jobs, coupled with a male tradition and the prejudices of the sector, make the integration of women professionals a difficult task.

Together with Oliete, the main agents from the sector took part in the debate: Juan Antonio Gómez, President of the Association of Promoters and Builders of Spain (Asociación de Promotores y Constructores de España -APCEspaña-); Leticia Ponz, Vice President of WIRES; Martha Thorne, Dean of the IE University of Architecture; Carlos Hernández , General Director of BMI Group Iberia and Italy; Beatriz Sánchez-Guitián, General Director of the Fundación +Humano; and Esther Soriano, Marketing Director of Saint Gobain. All of them were moderated by the director of the CSCAE 2030 Observatory, Ángela Baldellou.

‘Foundations of Equality’

This strategic alliance, promoted by the 2030 Observatory of the CSCAE, the Spanish Association of Executives and Directors EJE&CON, BMI Group and the Association of Civil Engineers, was created with the following objectives: Makink the construction sector more attractive to young women, taking advantage of new trends in production processes to digitalisation, industrialisation and circular economy; Connecting the sector to commitment, sustainability and circular economy as a necessary challenge and employment opportunity; Development and innovation to attract women to the sector, promoting quality employment with a future; Achieve the commitment of companies and entities to develop gender diversity policies, including the promotion of women to management positions.