Barriers and challenges faced by women workers in construction industry from contractor firms' perspective

The shortage of workers in Malaysia's construction industry, from the unskilled to the professional level, is caused by population growth and demand from other industries. In this scenario, encouraging more women to work in the construction industry is a good approach. However, women are reported to face many barriers and challenges while trying to venture into the construction industry. The study found that women face significant barriers and challenge whenever involved in the construction industry. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to determine the current participation level of women in the construction industry, to identify barriers and challenges faced by the women workers and propose a way to overcome the barriers and challenges faced by women workers in the construction industry from contractor firms' perspective. In order to accomplish the goals of this study, a literature review on the statistic published by the Department of Statistics, Malaysia, and quantitative research techniques were employed. Data collected from questionnaires will be examined using frequency and mean statistical methods. It found that the participation level of women workers in the construction industry is slightly decreasing. In addition, the findings from the research study emphasize the common barriers and challenges faced by women in the construction industry like family commitment and work-life balance, stress, and many more.