In 1967, when the Royal Commission on the Status of Women put forward its report and recommendations on what steps might be taken to ensure women have equal opportunities, the issue of childcare was included. Yet, nearly 60 years later, women still face the monumental issue and challenge of childcare in Canada.
Today, nearly 62 per cent of women participate in the labour force, according to Statistics Canada, and that number continues to grow. In the industry, 12 per cent of the construction workforce is women, but only approximately five per cent of women represent workers on site. For our industry to grow and for women to play a larger role in construction, we must address some of the critical challenges they face and the barriers to their successful career.
While childcare is not an issue that affects women alone, we know that women (52 per cent) are “significantly more likely than men (42 per cent) to provide care,” according to a Statistics Canada report. As the industry looks to support women in our sector, we must look at the issues impacting us, and daycare is one of the significant issues.
When Canada’s Building Trades Unions, which represents over half a million skilled trades workers across the country, undertook focus groups in 2021, participants identified barriers to accessing childcare that they had experienced during their careers, including:
- Limited daycare provider hours that don’t correspond with the shifts they work
- Long waitlists to access childcare
- Long-term commitments to one childcare facility that don’t correspond with the cyclical nature of construction
- Lack of qualified childcare professionals and drop-in childcare options
Flexible and available childcare options needed
To be part of the workforce, workers need to have access to childcare options and that is an increasing challenge across Canada.
According to a Policy Alternatives paper, “Half of younger Canadian children live in a postal code that has more than three children for every licensed childcare space.” There is a need for childcare in Canada, and we know that if the availability of childcare isn’t addressed, it will impact women and their careers.
As our country needs more and more skilled workers, we need to ensure that workers have access to childcare and that childcare is not a barrier to having a successful and sustainable career in construction.
It isn’t just about the available space; it’s about the hours when workers can access childcare for their families. While the average weekly working hours for Canadians is 35.7, the average working hours for those in construction is 40.2. Just like our colleagues working on the frontlines, our workers have shifts outside of the standard 35-hour work week between the hours of 9 to 5, and we need daycares that offer non-traditional hours of care that are affordable and flexible.
It is about more than children
While childcare is one part of the equation, it is also about family care. When I speak to women in the industry, I often hear of their challenges in supporting their aging parents and juggling the demands of family care.
“More than five million Canadians provide care to family members or friends with chronic health conditions, disabilities or aging-related functional limitations while also working, most in full-time jobs,” the University of Alberta wrote in a press release about a Statistics Canada report. Whether it is taking their elderly parent to the doctor, responding to emergencies or worrying whether they are safe and healthy in the home, there are enormous demands when it comes to overall family care.
These demands can be the catalyst for women leaving their careers. According to the University of Alberta, “Women accounted for almost 60 per cent of the 214,000 workers who left the paid labour force in 2018 due to caregiving duties,” stated the report.
Whether it is child or family care, the construction industry needs to support women and help create an environment that allows them to balance the demands of home and work in a meaningful and positive way.
At the Canadian Association of Women in Construction, we are dedicated to helping address the issues that impact women in construction. This year, in co-operation with our global association counterparts, we are going to do a deeper dive into the issue of child and family care for women in construction. As we focus on attracting women to the construction industry, we must recognize the issues that may impact them remaining in the industry. It is about understanding the issue and building solutions that will support women.
A job in construction can provide a flexible environment that allows individuals to balance the demands of life and work in a positive and fulfilling way. As industry leaders, we need to recognize the challenges and take action to solve them.
This article was originally published in Think BIG magazine and is reprinted with permission.