Breaking barriers: understanding factors constraining women’s career choices and progression in the South African construction industry

Purpose This paper examines the barriers constraining women's career choices and progression within the South African construction industry. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a mixed-methods research approach, utilizing a questionnaire survey of construction industry workers listed in the Construction Professions Register, the Builders Collective and the Housing Assembly Organization. It also used interviews to validate the quantitative data. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including factor analysis. Findings The study found that 39 of the 46 barriers identified have normalized values greater than 0.5 and, therefore, are classified as critical. From a ranking perspective, the top five barriers to the career choices and progression of women in the construction industry are male domination in the construction industry careers, gender bias, unfriendly workplace cultures, lack of strategies and policies for gender balance and educational expenses. Furthermore, the KMO score for this study is 0.778, which exceeds the standard threshold, meeting the required standards for principal component analysis. Research limitations/implications This study draws upon literature from other countries due to the limited literature available, specifically focusing on South Africa. However, such references may overlook the country's distinctive political history of racial segregation, which influences the research findings. Practical implications This study concludes that women will choose construction as a career and progress in the construction industry if targeted interventions and supportive environments promote gender inclusivity and encourage their professional growth. Originality/value This research helps shape initiatives to overcome barriers, such as underrepresentation, regarding women's professional aspirations and career progression within the construction sector.