Building foundations of fairness

摘要

Highways Agency CEO Graham Dalton has placed the gender equality debate under scrutiny by declaring himself a feminist. Andy Mitchell, CEO of the Thames Tideway Tunnel project, joined him, declaring that he was 'firmly in the feminist camp', as did Atkins' CEO David Tonkin. These so-called 'male feminists' have recognised that the building industry is almost exclusively confined to the white male, making it the most insular of the UK's economic powerhouses. So the recent calls for gender parity are no surprise. What is surprising, however, is how long it has taken for the gender imbalance in the construction industry to become a significant cause for concern. In recognition of this, last month Dalton hosted a seminar for 70 roads' industry leaders to raise awareness about the under-representation of women in the highways industry.