March is dedicated to celebrating women, with Women’s History Month and Women in Construction Week™ (WIC Week™) both occurring this month.

These observances are opportunities to honor women's remarkable achievements and recognize the challenges they faced to achieve them.

What is WIC Week?

WIC Week, March 2-8, 2025, celebrates and promotes the role of women in the construction industry. It raises awareness of women’s initiatives and impactful work in the construction industry and highlights career opportunities for them. The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) launched WIC Week in 1998. It falls during the first full week of March each year.

What is Women’s History Month?

Women’s History Month is designed to reflect on and celebrate the countless, often-overlooked contributions women have made to the development of our country’s economic, political, and social landscapes.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week. Six years later, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned for the observance to last the entire month of March.

Both WIC Week and Women’s History Month share a common goal: celebrating and recognizing the contributions of women in traditionally male-dominated industries and inspiring future generations.

WIC Stats

Why are observances like WIC Week and Women’s History Month so important?

• In the U.S., about 3 million women work in the construction sector, compared to more than 10 million men.
• Women are much more likely to work in administrative positions, whereas men are more likely to work in field-based roles. Women make up nearly 80% of the construction industry’s office and administrative roles but only 4.5% of transportation positions, 4.1% of construction and extraction roles, 3.5% of production roles, and 2% of maintenance and repair jobs.
• The primary reason tradeswomen shy away from construction work is harassment. A study revealed that 5% of women in construction reported experiencing significant levels of harassment on the job due to their gender. Almost half (47.7%) felt they were treated differently than their male coworkers.
• Women earn approximately 1% less than men in the construction field.

Influential WIC Throughout History

Women have worked in construction since the beginning of time – from the pyramids of Giza to the Great Wall of China – but they have mostly gone unrecognized. While women have worked in the trades for centuries, World War II was a turning point for women to step into non-traditional mechanical, technical, and physical labor roles. Rosie the Riveter was a strong symbol of women’s empowerment in these roles. However, when the war ended, so did the push for women to join laborious industries.

While we continue to fight for female representation, it’s important to recognize some of the construction industry’s most influential women and their accomplishments.

• Emily Warren Roebling (1843–1903): Took over as chief field engineer for the Brooklyn Bridge after her husband got sick, proving that women could handle technical leadership in construction.
• Louise Blanchard Bethune(1856–1913): The first woman to practice architecture professionally in the United States and join the American Institute of Architects (AIA). 
• Beverly Willis (1928–2023): Founded the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation to promote women’s roles in building design and construction.
• Zaha Hadid (1950–2016): Designed iconic structures like the London Aquatics Centre and the Guangzhou Opera House and was the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004.
• Cheryl McKissack: CEO of the oldest Black-owned and female-run construction company in the United States, McKissack & McKissack.

Celebrating WIC Week & Women’s History Month

There are so many great ways to celebrate these women-focused observances. Here are a few:

• Support women-owned businesses and female-led construction companies, contractors, or suppliers.
• Share inspiring stories and achievements of women on social media, consider sharing this article and using hashtags like #WICWeek and #WomensHistoryMonth.
• If you see women working on construction projects in your community, from utility workers to spring road repair in your neighborhood, thank them for their service.
• Encourage girls and young women to join the field by introducing them to different career opportunities and sharing resources.

Thank you for celebrating WIC Week and Women’s History Month with us. Together, we can continue supporting and uplifting women in construction and help build a more inclusive, innovative, and diverse industry!

Want to learn more about how UGIES celebrates women? Check out our blog!