Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has not undertaken any recent assessment specifically focused on barriers facing women entering and remaining in the construction industry. However, it has been supportive of industry-led efforts to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion across the sector.

The Scottish Government provide construction specific guidance through the Client Guide to Construction Projects which is mandatory for Scottish Government’s public bodies, and voluntary for all other organisations, whose uptake we strongly encourage and actively support. It also assists contractors and consultants in developing their understanding of how the public sector delivers construction projects.

The Scottish Government has considered barriers to entry, retention and progression for women in the construction sector through work undertaken with the Construction Leadership Forum. This included the development of the National Construction Equity and Inclusion Plan, which drew on research and stakeholder engagement to identify challenges facing under-represented groups, including women, within the industry. These challenges included gender imbalance, workplace culture, recruitment practices, progression opportunities, and a lack of visible role models.