Construction Built A Home For Women. Now Its Foundation Is Looking Shaky

Women in Construction Week usually creates an opportunity to celebrate the role of women in an industry that once left them out, then spent serious time and money welcoming them in.

But some of this week’s festivities are being dampened by worry about Trump administration executive orders that could torpedo diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, imperiling years of slow, fragile progress.

“There’s grave concern across the construction industry about what that looks like,” said Jennifer Todd, president and CEO of California-based LMS General Contractors, which provides demolition and disaster recovery services.

At a time when the construction industry is short almost half a million workers and women could help fill that gap, orders from President Donald Trump to end DEI initiatives in federal workforces and federally-funded projects are stoking fears that programs focused on recruiting women and minorities into the construction workforce may be put on the back burner — or dismantled entirely.

It was these types of initiatives that helped Todd grow from a secretary to the president of her own diverse company in 18 years, she said. 

And though Todd doesn’t expect her recruitment approach to change, she is concerned about women and diverse contractors continuing to have access to the support they need.

“If we aren’t able to say the words DEI, and they have been weaponized, what can we do to ensure we’re still being people-focused?” Todd said.  

As construction celebrates and promotes its women this week, many are trying to remain optimistic. Some noted that enforcement of the orders has been largely, albeit temporarily, blocked as DEI advocates fight them in court, including a Chicago-based nonprofit that supports tradeswomen.  

But if the orders are allowed to stand, they could halt or undo progress, women in the industry say.

“I am really interested in seeing what the fallout is, because on a very optimistic note, a lot of really great strides have been made in the last few years,” said Sandya Dandamudi, president of Chicago-based commercial stone contractor GI Stone. 

“Women are here to stay. Do we need to be more intentional? Yes, but I think this is just an unfortunate setback,” she added.

The ranks of the construction industry are still just over 14% female, according to the Department of Commerce, up from 12.5% in 2016. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put that percentage at 11.2% last year.

No matter which statistic is correct, women in the industry are more likely to work in professional and administrative roles such as accountants and office clerks. Yet if more women joined and stayed in the industry, there could be enough workers to fill existing job openings, according to the Department of Commerce.

“This labor shortage is really opening a lot more doors for women to come into the industry,” said Caroline Raffetto, event coordinator for Lumber, a construction workforce management platform provider that produced a report supporting the business case for women in the construction industry.

“This industry can no longer afford to overlook women as vital parts of our workforce,” Raffetto said. 

Women made up 30% of new hires in a sample of 250 architecture, engineering and construction companies last year, suggesting industry DEI programs have successfully boosted representation. 

More diverse companies have stronger workforce stability and retention, Raffetto said.

“Hiring more diverse teams, there’s a lot more diverse talents and strengths that everyone possesses,” she said. “When you have that, people are more likely to stay … Having more women in the industry creates a more welcoming environment. You see people who look like you.” 

McHugh Construction Executive Vice President Kate Ivanova said she is encouraged by the increase in women among new hires. When she started working on the operations side in 1999, it was very apparent that she was one of “very few females in any meeting room or construction site.” 

Companies have to work harder and spend more time to recruit women and minorities, and many have done so successfully, Dandamudi said. But anti-DEI policies and sentiment could deemphasize programs that help recruiting or deter women and people of color from seeking out opportunities, she said.

Women face barriers right up front because skilled trades work requires technical training and access to a network — construction often recruits by word-of-mouth. Women also cite job site culture, discrimination, harassment and limited access to childcare as additional barriers to entry and retention, according to a November 2024 Department of Commerce report. 

“You have to mentor and encourage people,” Dandamudi said. “They should not feel that they're lacking in support because they were not lucky to have a support system that they were born with.” 

Trump's new orders revoke President Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 executive order requiring contractors that receive federal funds ensure equal employment opportunities and prevent discrimination based on race, religion, sex and national origin.

One of Trump’s executive orders directs all federal agencies “to take strong action to end private sector DEI discrimination, including civil compliance investigations.” Another order directs all government departments to report a list including all DEI or “environmental justice” activities that were in existence on Nov. 4, 2024 to the Office of Management and Budget. 

Private companies like McHugh Construction have never hired women to check a box, so it doesn’t expect DEI-related policies to change anything, Ivanova said.

“We recruit women for their skill, what they brought to the table. It’s a lot more talent- and contribution-based,” Ivanova said. “I really do hope that across the industry, it really does not affect the hiring and promotion of women. It shouldn’t. It should be merit-based.”

Dandamudi said her company will continue to support and mentor people in a way that promotes equity. Yet she worries especially about diversity initiatives in rural areas and red states.

“I hate to reduce things to politics, but … that’s where the real work needs to be done,” she said.

Chicago Women in Trades, the nonprofit focused on expanding economic opportunity and mobility for women in the construction industry, said it has already lost one potential partnership because an organization no longer wanted to be associated with it, Block Club Chicago reported. CWIT has spent hundreds of hours overhauling its budget in case it loses government funding, though it still does not know how the executive orders apply to work it does under federal grants. 

This led it to sue the Trump administration in federal court last week, challenging orders it alleges are creating confusion and leading to “absurd results.”

“This legal action defends programs that have opened doors for women in the trades for over 40 years,” Jayne Vellinga, executive director of Chicago Women in Trades, said in a release. “The executive orders in question threaten to dismantle equity-focused initiatives with proven success records."

GI Stone was awarded all interior stone work for the Obama Presidential Center project, but that doesn’t involve federal dollars, so Dandamudi is unsure whether the company will see an impact. 

A minority-owned subcontractor on that high-profile project last month sued Thornton Tomasetti, the project’s structural engineer, alleging the firm racially discriminated against it by blaming it for “underperformance and inexperience.” One political commentator called the $830M project a “DEI nightmare.”

But as imperfect as DEI initiatives might be, it’s important that women, minorities and youth have the opportunity to be in the construction industry, and not just because there are so many jobs to fill, Todd said. 

“The industry has to represent the country in which we live,” she said. “The United States is diverse and the construction industry must reflect that.”