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Tanzania: One would speak of wonderful memories generated from cities that are visited. The splendidness of structures, buildings, and infrastructure systems that self-reveals in places mostly are the emanations of construction activities.  

The power of cities manifests themselves equivalently by levels of developments. Detaching construction and economy can be futile. Employments are being created, processing and manufacturing industries activated meanwhile services and tourism sectors favored hence making construction a giant industry of its own attributing to enormous economic growth. 

Since human populations are key resources for any construction process, recognition of gender factors becomes unavoidable. It is a common reality that men dominate leaving behind women towards their participation in construction sector particularly when the skilled labor is being involved. 

When entire construction teams line up at construction sites it would take decades to finally count a female Architect, Engineer, Surveyor, Technician, Operator or even a laborer within the group.  On the contrary, their recognitions can be effortless as their silhouettes are rare within the sites.

Participatory challenges are not just experienced in crossing boundaries seeking for foreign labor markets, but also within the local industry. In the wider horizon of unskilled works within the construction sites, there is no wonder finding majority of women participants earning their daily breads. 

The statistics given by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2022 reinforces this general reality as the global rate for women participation in labor force is only forty-seven percent (47%) making the overall labor force engagement difference of twenty-five percent (25%) below that of men. 

In the end, when women manage to cross the jungle of social-economic barriers towards their participation in construction activities setbacks such as violence, injustices, mistreatments, environmental hardships, isolations, family pressures and insecurities tend to attack and draw them back hence shuttering their dreams and courage. 

In the meantime, towards attaining the victory of world-wide nations’ biggest battle (economic growth) gender inclusivity becomes crucial. UN women in ‘Fact and figures: Economic Empowerment’ further advocates that, when more women work, economies grow through increased productivity, diversity and income equality. 

Meaningful policies, right education and skills development, positive linkages and practices that favor participation of women in the construction activities may alleviate the participatory inequalities by increasing the access to job and education opportunities; enhancing awareness; promote social-cultural protection and improving inclusive working values and standards.

Execution of these measures, will therefore be a true sense of empowering women thus bridging employment gap towards the achievement of sustainable economic growth.

Author: Zakia Advocate Nyombi

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