From architects and construction managers, to structural and civil engineers, construction industry is home to many exciting jobs. However, there is no denying that women are vastly underrepresented in the engineering workforce. The question of how to motivate more women to pursue these careers has sparked a lot of discussion. Part of the aim to accomplish gender parity in the construction sector falls with the women that have already built a reputation for themselves. We are encouraging others to consider engineering and construction as trades for women by sharing their stories of success.

1. Fatima al-Fihri: (800 – 880 AD)

The construction industry is not just about erecting lofty statues of concrete, at times it is purely about contriving a great vision to life for an even greater good. This stands true in case of Fatima al-Fihri, the woman who built the world’s first university in 859 A.D. in Fez, Morocco. An immigrant herself in Fez, Fatima realized the need for a greater learning institution for her community as the numbers kept increasing.  She spent all her inheritance on building the Qarawiyyin Mosque and made sure that it was built under her supervision like a real boss lady. Qarawiyyin became a full-fledged learning centre and over the centuries it became a stop for many scholars, poets, jurists, astronomers, mathematicians, and scientists from all over the world like Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Arabi, Maimonides and even Pope Sylvester II – the person who introduced Arabic numerals to the rest of the Europe giving us the number system we use today. The vision and institution of Fatima al – Fihri has played a major role in making the world what it is today.

2. Sarah Guppy (1770-1852) 

A serial inventor on an equal footing with the likes of Thomas Edison, Sarah Guppy is widely regarded for her contributions to the construction of bridges. She introduced a method of making safe staging for the foundation of the bridges and her work was instrumental in the construction of Bristol’s famous Clifton suspension bridge. At a time when women were expected to devote themselves solely to domestic responsibilities, Sarah’s business expertise, discoveries, passion for engineering, numerous accomplishments, and the place she was able to carve out for herself against all odds in an all-male world were certainly breaking the mold.

3. Florence Nightingale (1820–1910)

Women have also managed to make significant advancements in the design and use of our buildings and public spaces. For instance, the revolutionary ideas and new standards established in patient care by Florence Nightingale, influenced hospital design. To prevent the spread of infectious diseases, she advocated for improved lighting, ventilation, and ward organization. These concepts were introduced in 1868 at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, and her innovations spread from there to hospitals all over the world. She was also an expert at data visualization. She created incredible bar charts, stacked bars, honeycomb density plots, and 100% area plots that surpass historic description.

4. Ann Lambrechts (Winner of the European Inventor Award 2011)

In the past, concrete’s physical constraints also often limited architectural innovation. The steel grids (rebars) that are used to stabilize concrete are effective but costly, time-consuming and it restricts concrete from being fashioned into complex shapes. By inventing steel fibre for concrete, Ann Lambrechts transformed the construction scene forever. This greatly improved the ductility of the steel allowing structures to be designed that would not have been possible with rebars. The Gotthard Base tunnel, the world’s longest railway tunnel, as well as the Channel tunnel, are two of the many notable masterpieces built using Ann Lambrechts’s invention.

Women in construction have shown that advocating for a more equitable society will result in significant and long-term changes to our built environment and the society it serves. This trend must continue, and there has not been a better time for women to enter the field.