Analysis of Gender Perception in the Construction Sector: Colombian Case
Publication: Construction Research Congress 2022
ABSTRACT
One of the most controversial issues today is gender discrimination, which affects a significant part of the world’s population and is even more accentuated in developing countries, where the role of women is subject to cultural stereotypes. The construction industry represents a leading economic business sector around the globe, employing millions of women and men directly and indirectly; in a country like Colombia, this industry shows a low proportion in the ascription of women in contrast to that of men; subsequently, this article presents the perception of genders in the Colombian construction sector from the labor, educational, and leadership perspectives. The study data were collected through surveys of affiliated workers at all organizational levels in the sector and addressed gender disparities in salary, position, and influence. Additionally, the study showed that women are more likely to suffer discrimination or harassment in their educational and work environments and are still perceived to have lower earnings in their jobs simply because of their gender. From the organizational vision, it is concluded that women are perceived with a democratic/human relations leadership style and men with a democratic/autocratic style. Despite the relevance of the gender issue in the 21st century, there are shortcomings in mechanisms to reduce the gender gap in the construction sector.
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Construction Research Congress 2022
Pages: 670 - 678
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Published online: Mar 7, 2022
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