A recent global NAWIC webinar ignites collaboration around male allyship
It was an honour to host and facilitate the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Global Webinar on Male Allyship and Cultural Ambassadorship on 18 November, allowing us to ignite collaboration on an international scale.
More than 800 participants from our global network registered for this dynamic discussion, including those from the United States of America, Canada and New Zealand, which provided an opportunity for us to share and get feedback on our work towards creating fair, inclusive and respectful workplaces through culture change.
It was exciting to be able to outline our approach with others working to achieve similar objectives overseas. In order to attract, retain and advance women in the construction sector, we need safe and inclusive environments that actually meet their needs and offer supportive career pathways.
Men make up 11 percent of our more than 16,000 members in Australia but not all NAWIC organisations internationally open their membership up to all genders, so the webinar was a great opportunity to show the important role that male allies can play in creating an equitable construction industry for all. When you get workplace culture right then everybody benefits, individuals and organisations. It’s all about calling men and leaders in rather than calling them out and meeting them wherever they are on this journey towards change.
Research shows that men in allyship programs are three times more likely to advance gender equity, almost 70 per cent of women want more men involved in gender equity, and these initiatives are most effective when men are actively involved as allies and champions. We know the challenges women face in the construction sector are not actually women’s issues, but rather societal and sector issues. This means we all own both the responsibility and the potential to solve them.
Doreen Bartoldus, NAWIC USA past national president 2021–22, acted as moderator for the global webinar, which also featured NAWIC Australia male ally advocates Adam Woodley (director & senior advisor, Woodley Advisory Group Championing Allyship, Mentorship, and Equity in Construction and Beyond), Nigel Gorman (CEO Aussie Painters Network, NAWIC National Male Ally Award Winner) and Greg Belle (NAWIC senior project manager, Allyship in Action).
Male allyship and cultural ambassadorship is central to our innovative Allyship in Action: Transforming Culture to Attract and Retain Women project, which attracted $5 million in federal government funding through the Building Women’s Careers (BWC) Program. The three-year project is being delivered in partnership with ADCO, The Australian Workers’ Union, CPB Contractors and Holmesglen Institute.
Our senior project manager Greg Belle provided an overview of the current situation in the industry, the aims of the project which builds on the success of our NAWIC Male Allies program, and the extensive research that underpins it. Men make up most of the construction workforce in Australia, while women make up 12.4 per cent in total, so when men challenge current practices and champion inclusion this increases the likelihood of change.
The project will engage with men online, offer a site-based program, empower men to sponsor women and utilise the power of cultural ambassadors to embed positive change on the ground.
Belle also explored what we can all do to support culture change from self-education to being aware of our own behaviour and staying engaged plus setting personal goals. For organisations, the emphasis is on putting effective policies in place with good leaders who are accountable and who ensure these policies are reflected across the supply chain including with sub-contractors.
Adam Woodley and Nigel Gorman joined the panel to discuss male allyship with real world examples of the change they are supporting and seeing, the important role that men can play and the meaningful actions that can accelerate the process towards gender equity. They are both passionate advocates for diversity and inclusion, and webinar participants were keen to learn more from them.
Achieving culture change is at the heart of our organisational strategy for 2025–2028 and the global webinar allowed us to share what we have learned so far and to invite others to come on this journey with us.
Learn more about how to become a member and the Allyship in Action project at www.nawic.com.au
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