Bhargavi Phanikiran Yeri
The Headline Hook: Women Redefining Core Sectors
From Madhavi Latha, the engineer who braved mountains to work on the world’s highest Chenab Bridge, to Akanksha Kumari, Coal India’s first female mining engineer, to the Border Roads Organisation appoints its first Woman Executive Engineer to command a road construction Company, to Komatsu training its first Batch of women excavator Operators, to a team of 17 Women Engineers from L&T solely involved in the successful completion of a 13 Storey Building in Chennai, to Saint-Gobain, having women leading the way on the shop floor, driving innovation and excellence independently, to Tata Projects’ Preiti Patel Championing ‘She Leads’ to Empower Women in Infrastructure — these headlines immediately grab our attention and inspire us.
Because, they are painfully SPORADIC and RARE.
Statistics: Brain Drain is not only Overseas, it’s in our Own Backyard
Every year in India, around 15 lakh engineers graduate from college. Women make up about 3–4.5 lakh of these graduates. But only a quarter of them join the workforce — and a mere 7% of those enter core infrastructure. According to the recent news article, IMF’s chief Christine Lagarde had stated that India’s GDP could grow by a massive 27% if the level of the female workforce becomes equal to that of men.
For a country like India, where Construction Industry Contributes to 9% of the total GDP of the country, and given the fact that India is making record investments in heavy infrastructure Projects including Transportation, Energy and Smart Cities, lesser participation of Professional women in the Construction Workforce is a severe underutilization of talent and a major bottleneck in India’s Infrastructure ambitions.
Half the talent, half the progress: Why India’s infrastructure had been missing its other half.
Infrastructure industry has been majorly male dominated, since the independence (pre and Post) and nation-building era, wherein the major projects, right from Transportation (Roads, Railways, ports, Airports), Energy (Power, Oil & Gas), Water & Sanitation, Telecommunication, Industrial and Urban Infrastructure, were often located in remote areas as akin to any developing nation. With limited transport, safety and Social acceptance, women were expected to maintain households while men travelled long distances for employment in construction industry.
However, now, seven decades’ post-independence, the scenario has begun to change. Rapid urbanization, technological progress and policy reforms have opened new avenues in both Organized and Unorganized Sectors of the Construction industry, especially for women work force, although the reasons for growth of Women participants in the organized Sector varied greatly with respect to the Unorganized Sector. The unorganized sector saw more women joining out of economic necessity — driven by inflation, rising populations, and the need for multiple incomes — the organized sector’s growth came from a different source: educational empowerment, corporate inclusion policies, flexibility, change in attitudes and a gradual cultural shift towards giving women equal opportunities.
Construction is Still a Man’s World – But Women have the Grit to Break the Stereotypes
According to a survey I personally posted on my LinkedIn page (Question being – what was the major hindrance for women continuing long term in this Industry)—echoing general sentimen —majority voted that (a) the construction industry still remains widely viewed as male dominated set up. This option was followed by (b) concerns over lack of supportive policies, (c) family and social expectations, and, lastly, (d) unsafe onsite conditions.
Hearteningly, safety ranked lowest, indicating that the industry is making a gradual yet definite progress.
Amusingly, most of the Poll-takers were men. Women who have been veterans (>10 yrs) in the construction industry didn’t relate to this question at all – which shows that the key lies in building stronger women, unwavering family backing, empowering childhood foundations, and a bold shift in societal mind-set—enabling success in spite and despite all odds.
Individual Whispers turning into Collective Roar – Stories which need to be discussed:
Its said that awareness is the first step towards any radical change – hence we need to bring forward the trials and tribunals of women in this sector — site engineers, architects, project managers, equipment operators — and of the countless women labourers in the unorganized sector, carrying bricks, material and their babies under scorching sun and battering rain.
Equally important are the Stories of the ENABLERS – the Organisations, Leaders and Policy Makers that prioritise safety, create opportunities, push for gender parity, and work towards inclusion which is extremely essential for economic growth.
Sharing and discussing these challenges, help in formulating frameworks and policies for definite changes that lay the foundation for a more inclusive growth facilitating our current and future generations.
I am proud to have been a part of this story since 2003, when I joined as a site engineer strutting across cross country pipelines —at a time when women at construction sites were a rarity. I joined at a time when diverse hiring was making in-roads in PSU’s but the Organizations were still figuring out how to deal with women like us.
So when I began, reality was harsh. No women’s toilets onsite led to my body clock trained to last 6-8 hours without relief. Gossip, judgment, and subtle harassments were common. I once filed a formal complaint against a senior official for inappropriate conduct — which was met with silence because of his Power and authority. #MeToo Movement and POSH policies were non-existent.
However, fortunately, I had encouraging Bosses, trusted Male colleagues and a rock-solid family throughout my journey— not just because I was a woman, but because I worked very hard to prove myself as a Capable and Competent resource, the very reason I Stayed instead of leaving.
Call to Action – Pathways to Transformation
Now, 22 years later, I feel privileged to witness and also enable meaningful, visible women centric changes that are absolutely the need of the hour. But we still have a long way to go, nationally as well as globally. Every stake holder has a vital role to play so that these actions build a strong participative female work-force in the Infrastructure (nation-building) sector which will in turn lead to an economically strong and progressive nation.
The sector still needs basic changes – where women are purposefully hired and promoted, gender sensitive policies are enforced with zero tolerance to harassment, flexible work and improved facilities at work are provided, mentorship and skill development is fostered, and career awareness is created amongst young women and men are sensitized to the increasing women in construction workforce.
Change requires both genders –to champion the cause of inclusion- because as Mahbub-ul Haq said: “Development — if not engendered — is endangered.”
After all, why should Boys Have all the Fun?!
About the contributor: Bhargavi Phanikiran Yeri is a General Manager – Techno Commercial at VS Lignite Power Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad. She is a fellow of the YWLPPF 3.0 – Young Women Leaders in Public Policy Fellowship, Cohort 3.0.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
Read more at IMPRI:
Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund (RMEWF),2023
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Acknowledgement: This article was posted by Rashmi Kumari, a research intern at IMPRI.
