The Shoalhaven Hospital redevelopment is leading the way in getting more women onto building sites. 

With 13 per cent of its workforce female, the project has more than tripled the NSW Government’s trial target of four per cent for women in trade-based roles.

It is also ahead of the industry average, where women make up just 13 per cent of the overall construction workforce and a mere two per cent of trades. 

This project proves targeted initiatives can shift entrenched industry norms.

But while women are stepping into construction roles, the same cannot be said for men entering traditionally female-dominated fields.

The numbers tell the story. In health and social assistance, women dominate, making up 79 per cent of the workforce. Education sits at 64 per cent female.

Administrative and clerical jobs are overwhelmingly staffed by women. Yet men are barely moving into these spaces.

Cultural norms still dictate career paths. Young men are steered towards trades and engineering while caring professions are seen as “women’s work.”

Pay is another factor. Construction jobs typically offer higher wages than healthcare or education, making them more attractive to men.

Workplace culture plays a role too. Just as women in trades face challenges being accepted, men in nursing or early childhood education can feel out of place.

Governments have backed programs to boost women in construction, but there has been little effort to encourage men into female-dominated industries.

Recruitment campaigns, better career guidance and policy incentives could help shift the balance.

The Shoalhaven Hospital project shows change is possible when governments and industry work together. But for true gender equality in the workforce, that change needs to go both ways.