Abstract Book of the 2nd International Academic Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities
Year: 2025
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Promoting women in practice: experience report from the building construction sector at a university of applied sciences in Germany
Reuther, Iris M.
ABSTRACT:
The proportion of women in construction has only increased very gradually in recent years, and in 2021 the proportion of female students in civil engineering, which had been slowly increasing before, even fell again. We are still a long way from gender parity. As an architect and lecturer, the author carries out small measures to promote women. One of them works at the level at the very beginning of a professional career: among female students. These small steps are described in this article. There are three measures in particular, each of which is associated with a different degree of student activation. The first is well known: more female lecturers are deliberately used. They act as a role model for the young women when they teach technical content as a matter of course. Secondly, at the tutor level, predominantly female students are used. These women from higher semesters also act as role models. In addition, such a task strengthens the self-confidence of the tutors. The author also deliberately chooses women as student employees. This is also intended to increase the self-confidence of the female students working for the author. The measures described so far are those that normally do not result in additional costs. So it “only” requires an increased awareness in order to bring the empowerment of young women from well-intentioned declarations into practice at a building academy like our university of applied sciences. The third measure is different. It is a special coaching for the author’s student employees and tutors. There are already various seminars and coaching sessions that support women in working in a male-dominated professional world. However, the target group is always graduates, doctoral students, professionals or (junior) managers. We deviated from this target group: together with a very experienced coach, the author developed a seminar for these young women who she supports. Some of the elements are standard, but some are tailor-made for the student level and the building sector. In the full text of this publication, all three measures, but especially the third, are specified. The author also describes the feedback from the participants in the coaching and the first small successes of her small steps to support and advance young woman in the construction sector.
Keywords: building sector, empowerment, STEM, tertiary education, woman