Women In Building Trades Face Sexual Harassment In The Workplace

The role that women play in many industries has shifted massively over the years, giving them more opportunities than ever before. However, recent reports indicate that there are still a number of jobs in which women struggle both to get jobs and to keep them. For instance, the building trades are not nearly as open to women as many other jobs.

For one thing, some women have reported that they were not able to get hired in the first place, all on the grounds of their gender. Some were even told that the reason for their not being hired was that they were not male.

Even those who do manage to get jobs have reported that it is hard for them to keep them and to advance. This is where sexual harassment comes into play, as some women were harassed on the job to the point that they had to leave it behind. This type of harassment made for a hostile work environment that would marginalize women in an industry in which they were already not well represented.

On top of sexual harassment, there have been reports that the training that they needed was not given to them and that they did not get the support from the men that they worked with that they desired. Men would be opposed to helping them or mentoring them as they would with other men.

Any women in California who have been exposed to sexual harassment in the workplace need to know what legal rights they have, especially if the goal of that harassment seems to have been to hold them back or force them out of the industry.

Source: SCV News, “CSUN Prof’s Study Finds Homophobia Hinders Women in Building Trades” Aug. 14, 2014