VIEWPOINT UNLOCKING FEMALE POTENTIAL IN CONSTRUCTION
Donna McFadden, operations director, Saint-Gobain Exterior Solutions
CONSTRUCTION IS AN industry built on progress yet, when it comes to gender balance, that progress has often felt slower than it should.
While more women are entering the sector than ever before - accounting for 15% of today’s UK construction workforce with representation having gradually increased over the last decade - the real question is no longer just how we open the door, but what happens next. The sector has made meaningful strides in creating opportunities, but opportunity on its own isn’t enough. True empowerment is about enabling women to not just join the industry, but to thrive within it.
There’s often a debate about whether the issue is an ‘opportunity gap’ or a ‘confidence gap’. In reality, the two go hand in hand. You can create pathways into an industry, but if people don’t feel confident stepping towards them, or if the environment they enter doesn’t actively support their progression, those opportunities risk falling short.
In construction, where traditional perceptions can still shape career paths, this is particularly important. It’s not just about encouraging women to consider the industry, it’s about making sure they can build long-term, fulfilling careers once they’re here.
Mentorship and advocacy are a big part of that. Throughout my career, I’ve seen how powerful it is to have people who not only offer guidance, but who actively support your progression. Mentors can help you navigate challenges and build confidence, while advocates help create visibility and open doors that might have otherwise stay closed.
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At Saint-Gobain Exterior Solutions (SGES), we build that support into how we develop our people. As part of our planning process, the Management Board looks closely at capability gaps, succession planning and development priorities. Where possible, we focus on growing our existing teams to fill those gaps. It’s a simple but important message: there are opportunities to progress, and potential will be recognised.
“Be bold.
Don’t let age, stereotypes or outdated perceptions limit what you think is possible.”
That commitment is reflected at the very top of the organisation. Today, 50% of SGES’ Board is female, demonstrating what’s possible when businesses actively invest in developing and promoting diverse talent. Representation at this level matters – not just as a milestone but as a signal to others across the organisation that progression is both achievable and championed.
Our focus on potential starts from recruitment phase. We use psychometric and leadership assessments to get a fuller picture of candidates, looking beyond just experience. A ‘grandparenting’ approach helps ensure balanced decision-making, while structured four-week onboarding plans
combine training, mentoring and integration into the wider team. These early steps make a real difference in helping people feel confident and supported from day one.
Of course, creating pathways is only part of the picture. The environment people step into matters just as much. If we want more women in leadership, we need to create workplaces in which people feel comfortable speaking up, sharing ideas and taking on new challenges. Our Continuous Improvement (CI) culture plays a key role in helping us do this. It encourages everyone to contribute ideas, improve how we work and take ownership of change. That naturally helps people build new skills, step into leadership behaviours and gain confidence in their abilities. Just as importantly, it reinforces the message that every voice has value.
Amplifying voices, especially those that might not always be heard, requires intention, and leadership has a critical role to play. It’s important that leadership teams work collaboratively to create space for different perspectives, listen properly, and ensure contributions are recognised. That mindset shouldn’t stop within a business’s own teams; it should also extend across supply chains and partnerships.
At SGES, this is brought to life through initiatives such as our training academies; purpose-built training facilities designed not just to upskill today’s workforce, but to set new standards for the future. By offering high- quality, hands-on training and continuous professional development opportunities, our training academies help to build confidence, strengthen capability
and position the industry as a more accessible and attractive career choice for all.
With an eye on futureproofing, it is a wider responsibility across the industry and equally important to engage young people before career perceptions are fully formed. Through structured
engagement with local schools, including site visits and interactive learning experiences, we are helping to bring science, engineering and construction to life in a tangible way. These initiatives go beyond awareness, they provide real insight into modern roles, showcase diverse career pathways, and challenge outdated stereotypes that can often deter young women from considering the sector. By making these careers visible and relatable, we can play a meaningful role in shaping a more balanced future workforce.
Ultimately, improving gender balance in construction isn’t about box-ticking; it’s about making better use of the talent that’s already out there. That means creating environments where women feel supported, heard and able to progress. My message to women considering a career in the sector is simple: be bold. Don’t let age, stereotypes or outdated perceptions limit what you think is possible. Your skills are more transferable than you might expect, and sometimes a change in direction is exactly what reignites your passion. For the industry, the opportunity is clear. If we move beyond simply creating opportunities and focus on genuinely enabling people to take them, we’ll build stronger teams, better businesses and a more resilient sector. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net April 2026
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