This article explores the social partners’ role in the gender equality
agenda in construction at skilled operative level. It draws on a survey of the
European construction social partners that investigated the presence of women in
skilled trades and the policies, collective agreements and practices that play a
role in women’s integration. The responses indicate that the
construction industry still displays inertia and conservatism, and that the
social partners corroborate rather than counter this. They express a
‘discourse’ of gender equality, but this does not
automatically lead to equal opportunity policies or programmes. The social
partners have the platform to make inroads and to change the industry from
within, but need further encouragement to put this on their agenda.
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