A Gender Perspective on the Construction Charter

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A Gender Perspective on the Construction Charter

• Nonhlanhla Mjoli-Mncube
• Mjoli Development Company
• Chairperson Women For Housing
• President South African Womens Entrepreneurial
  Network (SAWEN)

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Defining Scope

• Integrated view of the Construction charter from
  perspectives of different women role players in
  the construction industry including-
• Women as professionals, and students
• Women as contractors
• Women as business owners in the sector
• Women as community builders
• Paper looks at women not gender

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Womens Traditional Role in Construction

• Traditionally, women have always been builders of
  homes, roads, crèches
• In most cases they assembled resources, defined
  the needs, and became the primary users
• Changed when construction became a paying job,
  women relegated to ilima or letsema ( Free group
  work)
• Women still play the major role in maintenance
  arena, especially in rural areas

4
Enabling Environment For entering the industry

• Subsidy policy requirement for 10 allocation to
  women ( public sector)
• BEE requirements for women participation in
  construction
• Procurement requirements (public works)
• The Construction Industry Charter
• Financial services charter commitment to low and
  middle income housing and smmes
• Availability of training for new entrants
• Affirmative Action

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Some Facts About Women in the Construction sector

• More than 1000 women owned businesses registered
  and participating through Women For Housing
  (WFH), S A Women in Construction (SAWIC), S A
  Womens Entrepreneurial Network (SAWEN), and
  Women in Property
• Popular stereotypes about womens interest and
  presence in the sector
• Significant number of women professionals in the
  built environment field
• Some listed and unlisted companies in the
  construction sector have women non executive
  directors

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Facts About Women In the Sector

• Most own one women businesses in consulting,
  contracting or as professionals entities
• Women professionals have spent minimum time in
  bigger companies
• Significant number of professionals in all
  spheres of government and parastatals
• Some contractors have been sub contractors to big
  business
• Most get jobs mostly from government and
  parastatals

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Potential impacts of the Construction Charter on
women

• Dispelling the stereotypes about women in the
  industry
• Requirements of the charter for transformation,
  growth, efficiency and competitiveness requires
  the use of all competent people.
• Clearly brains and intelligence are not exclusive
  to males
• Allowing diversity, and utilization of all
  resources
• Opening doors for 54 of the population

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Critical outcomes of the charter for women

• The visibility of women as shareholders,
  executives, managers and workers
• Bursaries for girls, and technical training for
  adults
• Apprenticeships and on site training to develop
  key and critical skills
• Mechanisms for re training of unemployed women
  graduates in construction related fields
• Campaign to recruit girls and women to the sector
  and then creating an enabling environment for
  them to stay.
• Gender sensitivity in the work place.

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Critical outcomes of the charter for women

• Skills Development e.g. Brick layers, Plumbers,
  etc
• Employment Equity
• Communication Skills Abet
• Higher Value Projects

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Opportunities (continued)

• Mentoring and coaching on site use of retired
  professionals to partner (Dutch example)
• Identifying skilled business women and
  professionals for executive and non executive
  directors , change occurs only when those inside
  the companies champion it and demonstrate the
  commitment
• This also creates an environment that makes it
  easy to attract other women

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Procurement and EnterpriseDevelopment

• At macro level there is a need to link the first
  and the second economy for accelerated growth
• Exploring strategies of partnering women
  companies with bigger companies and facilitating
  the development of processes, systems and skills
  that makes them strong suppliers
• Creation of database for accredited women
  companies to facilitate the emergence of middle
  size companies
• Encouraging opportunities for structured joint
  venturing to gain experience

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Opportunities on the supply side

• Women as contractors need registration with
  NHBRC, CIDB, SARS need training
• Most government tenders call for participation of
  women, hence fast tracking necessary
• Opportunities for material suppliers to
  meaningfully participate
• AVOID FRONTING ( A CURSE TO THE INDUSTRY)
• Creative thinking needed around financing,
  access, management, pricing, and administration

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NECESSARY SKILLS

• Understand your finances (practical)
• Project Management
• Selling yourself ( tough industry)
• Marketing
• Networking in the industry
• Understand tendering process
• Get a good Quantity Surveyor to get your costing
  right ( main danger area)
• Read your contracts
• Understand the risk you are taking ( keep husband
  out unless value adding)

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Conclusion

• Women are ready, willing and able
• Change of heart needed from industry for
  effective transformation
• Need committed players rather than forced
  marriages or fronters
• Unlimited opportunity to grow together, maximize
  our potential and be competitive.
• Other sectors are beginning to reap the rewards
  of diversification

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Conclusion

• Broad Based Empowerment
• Monitoring Empowerment of Women
• Fixed Investments for Everyone
• Commit to fast tracking women, not why, but why
  not?
• Risky but long term sustainable

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Thank You

• Questions ?????
• nhlanhlam_at_wol.co.za
• 082 557 9268
• 011 469 4079 (ph)
• 011 469 4084 (fax)