Acting for on-site equality

A NEW Women’s Health Grampians program is aiming to support women who work in male-dominated trade industries, and encourage cultural change.

Known as ACT ON SITE, the program has been developed to help champion gender equality and equal opportunity amongst tradies without barriers, respond to skills shortages, and establish more healthy, safe workplaces where women can make long-term impacts.

WHG CEO Marianne Hendron said the program has been funded by a Federal Women’s Leadership and Development Program.

“Women’s Health Grampians welcomes this investment in women,” she said.

“Women were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s important women have opportunities to be included in those industries which will lead our economic recovery.”

Construction Culture Taskforce chair Gabrielle Trainor said construction is “the most male dominated industry” across Australia.

“It has the biggest gender pay gap and some of the most challenging workplace culture concerns,” she said.

“Urgent change is needed to prevent the losses, but also to secure a pipeline of workers by tapping into women who have largely avoided the industry with a macho and sexist reputation.

“By 2023, we’ll have 105,000 jobs that can’t be filled if things keep going the way they are with the massive infrastructure pipeline that Australia has.”