"Construction industry becoming increasingly gender-segregated, report finds", 12 Dec 2016

...The construction industry is the most male-dominated sector in Australia and it appears to be getting more gender-segregated. In 2016 women make up only 12% of the workforce, down from 17% 10 years ago...Chappell was part of a team of academics from the University of New South Wales who released their findings on the industry in December.  Other researchers who worked on the Construction Industry: Demolishing Gender Structures report include Abigail Powell and Martin Loosemore...The research finds that women’s careers are being stymied by rigid work practices, long hours and an expectation of total availability, lack of flexible parental leave (in practice), tolerance of sexism and accepted informal recruitment processes that favour men...The main recommendations of the report are to:

• Stop rewarding and promoting excessive hours and “shaming” those who don’t comply. 
• Demonstrate no tolerance for sexism...
• ...Recognise, recruit and celebrate agile and diverse career pathways and career breaks...

The chief investigator on the report..says the researchers saw there was no room for caring or social roles outside of work...[T]he industry needs to change for both genders...[Refers to Lend Lease, Multiplex & Australian Rail Track Corporation]