ALLISON WICKS
Quality Integration Specialist, Qualitaz
15 years in the field
I am a woman, yes, but I have never viewed my gender as an obstacle that would prevent me from doing the work that I love and entering into the field. Admittedly in the early stages of my career, I had to work harder to prove myself and to show that I can make a difference, especially when visiting the sites. This was further compounded by working in the quality field, as you often have to deliver not so positive news. However, once the team realises you are experienced in what you do, you are taken just as seriously as your male counterparts.
I have been lucky enough to have been fully supported and mentored by a number of men throughout my career. They invested their time to ‘show me the ropes’, train and encourage me to achieve, and to help progress my career. I am grateful for this as I may not be where I am today without their support. Nevertheless, there is still prejudice in the industry towards women. I often hear when attending construction events that this is predominately experienced from the younger generation of women, especially at the early stages of their careers. The way to over come this is t0 love what you do, work hard and wish to succeed, and you will. If you have the belief that your gender will hold you back, then it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy and you can make this as part of the ‘excuse’ to not achieve. The best advice I can give to women considering a career in construction is to have confidence in their own abilities.
Is it the culture that prevents women from entering this field? How can we change that?
There does remain in some parts of the world, cultural beliefs that still hinder or perhaps discourage women from entering in this field. However, viewing the industry as a whole, I feel that times are changing, thankfully. Women are more readily accepted and embraced. I have witnessed this myself, having come directly from the UK to the UAE 11 years ago. Everyone would stop working when I arrived on site, and just stare or request to take photos with me. Some of the managers refused to speak or take direction. Nowadays, I haven’t encountered much of this. There is sometimes a prevailing narrative about construction that it is physically demanding, creating a stigma for employment for women. There are many roles available in the field, such as in Quality, Project Management, Health and Safety, Procurement, Surveying, etc. I think more work is needed to showcase these roles, especially within the education systems. This information is not always readily available and there is definitely a lack of awareness.
I am starting to see an increase in the promotion of women in construction events, which is a positive sign. However, I believe more can be done. There is a wealth of experience and knowledge available from construction professionals already in the field, which is invaluable and can be utilised within the education system to provide career advice, mentoring and support, and also to encourage more women to join the industry. The Chartered Institute of Building has led the way on this aspect, and is working with colleges and universities to support both men and women in the industry through training, mentoring and chartership.
Any personal experience or memory you would like to share?
I remember when I first started my career in construction (looking back it’s quite a funny situation), I once got locked in a site office by the site managers for not approving the quality of a house at handover. The house was not at an acceptable standard, and the roof of the garage and porch had not even been built. One manager stood with a pen urging me to sign off, the other guarded the door so I couldn’t leave without signing. I am not sure if that would have happened if I was a man. I understood that the site team were under a lot of pressure to hand over the property, due to their targets and the planned customer moving in date, and this was the reason they were not thinking logically. Still, I didn’t sign over approval, and explained the impact this would have on the customers. After an SOS ‘hostage’ phone call to my then line manager, the situation was quickly resolved. Once management saw the photos of the property, they altered the planned programme date to support the decision. A year later, saw a turning point as the site evolved from being a previously problematic site to a high quality development, winning a national house builder award for quality. It became one of the best sites for quality for the company.
If we were to ask you to share one commitment to the growth and support of diversity and gender equality within the field of construction, what would you be able to offer?
I was recently elected Committee Member for the Dubai Hub of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) to serve not only as an experienced construction professional, but also to represent women as these roles were historically held predominantly by men. The Institute is committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion. This is a role I am proud to uphold, and it enables me to transfer my knowledge and skills to its members, provide mentoring and support for both men and women who wish to become chartered and progress their careers. At a recent CIOB International Womens’ Day event, one of the key points raised by women was the need to have female mentors for young females in the industry. This will be something I will continue to commit to.
