Fig. 1
Barriers/constraints to women's participation in the built environment profession_
| Barriers/constraints | Mean score | Standard deviation | Factor ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low level of females’ self-confidence at the career level when compared to males | 3.54 | 0.802 | 5th |
| Inflexible and harsh working conditions | 4.58 | 0.799 | 3rd |
| Limited number of women attaining senior position in the firm | 1.47 | 0.683 | 8th |
| Smaller proportion of women training in construction-related fields | 2.34 | 0.746 | 9th |
| Unequal job opportunities for women | 3.54 | 0.802 | 5th |
| Dominance of male culture in the construction industry | 4.82 | 0.683 | 1st |
| Lack of support, networking and mentoring opportunities | 2.47 | 0.746 | 7th |
| Attitudes, perceptions and behaviours of the society | 4.82 | 0.960 | 1st |
| Limited influence of women in construction | 3.64 | 0.802 | 4th |
Reliability analysis using Cronbach's alpha for each construct of the questionnaire_
| Construct | Cronbach's alpha | Number of items |
|---|---|---|
| Level of influence that some factors have on professional women participation in the construction industry | 0.883 | 9 |
| Barriers or constraints that prevent women's entry into construction industry | 0.891 | 9 |
| Level of agreement with some strategies to improve women participation in the construction industry | 0.872 | 16 |
| Factors affecting the participation of women professionals in the construction industry | 0.812 | 11 |
Factors that affect participation of professional women in the built environment profession_
| Factors | Mean score | Standard deviation | Factor ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family obligation | 4.58 | 0.799 | 3th |
| Fear of competition with men | 2.34 | 0.746 | 9th |
| Female preference for other jobs relative to construction jobs | 4.62 | 0.683 | 1st |
| Gender discrimination | 4.62 | 0.683 | 1st |
| Lack of mentoring | 3.54 | 0.802 | 5th |
| Lack of career progression | 2.88 | 0.746 | 7th |
| Nature of the construction industry orientation | 3.54 | 0.802 | 5th |
| Recruitment policies and procedures | 3.64 | 0.802 | 4th |
| Sociocultural perceptions | 2.47 | 0.746 | 8th |
Industrial classification of workers in Nigeria as of 2008_
| Industry | Female | Percentage | Male | Percentage | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 7,029,237 | 36.5 | 12,207,075 | 63.5 | 19,236,348 |
| Fishing | 188,831 | 1.0 | 293,901 | 1.5 | 482,732 |
| Mining | 40,301 | 0.2 | 152,860 | 0.8 | 193,161 |
| Manufacturing industry | 1,197,538 | 6.2 | 1, 084,390 | 5.6 | 2,281,928 |
| Electricity, gas and water | 68,582 | 0.4 | 233,072 | 1.2 | 301,654 |
| Construction industry | 37,445 | 0.2 | 620,749 | 3.2 | 658,194 |
| Retail trade | 5,796,543 | 30.1 | 3,037,550 | 15.8 | 8,834,093 |
| Hotel restaurant business | 163,561 | 0.9 | 53,557 | 0.3 | 217,118 |
| Transportation and communication business | 96,300 | 0.5 | 1,308,250 | 6.8 | 1,404,550 |
| Finance business | 52,088 | 0.3 | 74,337 | 0.4 | 126,425 |
| Real estate business | 187,984 | 1.0 | 226,263 | 1.2 | 414,247 |
| Administration and defence | 477,061 | 2.5 | 1,352,562 | 7.0 | 1,909,149 |
| Education | 915,040 | 4.8 | 994,109 | 5.2 | 475,328 |
| Health and social welfare | 292,143 | 1.5 | 183,185 | 1.0 | 475,328 |
| Social services | 727,588 | 3.8 | 1,112,014 | 5.8 | 1,839,602 |
| House helper | 98,320 | 0.5 | 99,616 | 0.5 | 197,936 |
| Others | 16,113 | 0.1 | 50,325 | 0.3 | 66,438 |
| Total | 17,484,163 | 43.1 | 23.053,815 | 56.9 | 40,567,978 |
Strategies to improve women participation in the built environment profession_
| Strategies | Women professionals Mean score | Rank | Employers Mean Score | Rank | Overall Mean Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incentives, such as childcare facilities | 4.49 | 7th | 3.74 | 10th | 4.12 | 11th |
| Support educational and career pathways | 4.52 | 6th | 4.6 | 7th | 4.52 | 6th |
| Better job security | 3.83 | 9th | 4.82 | 3rd | 4.33 | 10th |
| Better benefits | 3.54 | 13th | 3.92 | 8th | 3.73 | 12th |
| More opportunities for promotion | 3.64 | 11th | 3.73 | 11th | 3.69 | 14th |
| More flexible working hours | 4.47 | 7th | 4.68 | 6th | 4.56 | 5th |
| Better representation of women | 4.92 | 1st | 3.90 | 9th | 4.41 | 8th |
| Education and training opportunities | 3.80 | 10th | 4.96 | 1st | 4.38 | 9th |
| Equal opportunities, policies and procedures | 4.91 | 3rd | 4.82 | 3rd | 4.87 | 3rd |
| Extending the influence of women in construction | 4.92 | 1st | 2.48 | 14th | 3.70 | 13th |
| Networking and mentoring schemes | 3.98 | 8th | 4.96 | 1st | 4.47 | 7th |
| Making young women aware of opportunities in construction | 4.92 | 1st | 4.96 | 1st | 4.94 | 1st |
| Creating scholarship opportunities | 4.62 | 5th | 4.68 | 6th | 4.65 | 4th |
| Organizing excursions | 1.65 | 14th | 3.72 | 12th | 2.69 | 15th |
| Favourable selection criteria and recruitment methods | 4.91 | 3rd | 4.96 | 1st | 4.94 | 1st |
| Develop links with educational establishment | 2.82 | 12th | 2.21 | 15th | 2.25 | 16th |