Our Purpose
The International Institute for Women in Construction exists to accelerate the attraction, development, and retention of women in construction and related industries globally. We are an ignitor, a think tank, fostering improved sharing of data, implementation of effective strategies, and bold thinking throughout the world.
Research
IIWIC serves as a global repository for data, research, and best practices focused exclusively on women in construction and related industries.
Global Storytelling
Culture shifts when stories shift. Through podcasts and global media, IIWIC amplifies the voices of the organizations, associations, unions, teams and individuals who are supporting women in construction.
Convenings, Partnerships, and Alliances
Our convenings bring together CEOs, union leaders, government officials, educators, and advocates to share what’s working, what’s not, and what we need to do differently to attract, develop, and retain women in construction.
Funding and Scale
Eventually we will fund the scaling of effective strategies throughout the world.
Our Mission
The mission of the International Institute for Women in Construction (IIWIC) is to accelerate the number of women entering, advancing, and thriving in construction worldwide. We generate research and data, amplify women’s stories, and convene industry leaders to turn knowledge into action. As a trusted global unifier, IIWIC connects and accelerates effective efforts across countries and organizations. Our goal is lasting, systems-level change that makes women’s participation and leadership in construction both normal and sustainable.
Our Values
We Serve the Industry
We are curious and seek knowledge; we listen and learn; we ask great questions such as “how can our work help you?”; we respect, admire, and support the work of others; we tell the stories; we understand the voices we need to bring to the table.
We Embrace Inclusivity
We engage, value, and acknowledge diverse perspectives; we create safe spaces.
We Think and Listen Globally
We learn from other cultures; we connect the dots across continents; we respect that not all strategies work in all cultures.
We Connect the Dots
We build partnerships and alliances across stakeholder groups to 1) leverages resources; 2) accelerate momentum; 3) rally the masses; 4) fill the gaps; we find supporters of our work.
We are Passionate
We are humble yet bold; we respect the past, acknowledge the present, and build the future; we propagate bold thinking and approaches.
We Embody Accountability and Ethics
We use resources wisely and do what we say we will do; we set expectations, define standards, and work with transparency.
Dr. Gretchen Gagel
Founder and CEO
I created this global institute not to replace the work of the many people and organizations who are working to increase the number and success of women in construction and related fields such as engineering, energy, and mining. Rather we want to support greater collaboration and funding to support strategies that are working. Our goal is to double the number of women in construction over the next 10 years.
The Global Challenge
The US construction industry faces a labor shortfall of approximately 750,000 workers and countries throughout the world face similar construction labor shortages such as Australia’s 290,000 shortfall. Attracting, developing, and retaining more women in construction is one critical strategy for ensuring a sustainable industry capable of supporting the capital asset and infrastructure needs of our society. In the US, women comprise approximately 4% of the trade workers and 10-12% of the construction industry workforce. While efforts to attract, develop, and retain women in the construction industry are gaining momentum, these efforts are at times fragmented and underfunded, and there is no global source of data on women in construction to track progress.
Read the Study
