Female leaders unite to encourage women’s participation in infrastructure

Female participation in construction is growing. In 2021, women occupied 10.85% of the workforce in the sector, while in 2010, there were 7.8% of women in the area. However, data from the Relação Anual de Informações Sociais (RAIS) [Ministry of Labor’s Social Information Annual Report] show that there are still 251,000 women in construction of a total of 2.3 million workers.

For Miriana Marques, Operations Director for the Vice Presidency of Technical Activities at the Engineering Institute, women participation has grown in engineering due to several factors, including the cultural change the world is going through. “In the past, women were not allowed to enter tunnel works. Today, we see many women working in this type of work”, she said during the meeting “Female Representativeness in Infrastructure: Reflection on the challenges of equal opportunities”, promoted on March 28 by M&T Expo, the largest machinery and equipment  fair for construction and mining in Latin America, with the support of the Engineering Institute.

The lower participation of women in engineering and infrastructure areas is not just a reality in Brazil. Ieda Gomes Yell, independent advisor for international companies and Senior Adviser at FGV Energia, evaluated that women from other countries also face the same challenge, as it is a sector that requires work on the construction site. “The difference is that there are nations that have legislation to increase the female presence, mainly, on the Boards of Directors of companies that are listed on the stock exchange. In France, for example, the quota is 40% women on the boards”, she explained.

In addition to the legislation implementation that encourages female participation in companies in the sector, Ieda highlighted that there is also pressure from financial investors and institutions for more women to be in infrastructure. “The organized work of us, women, abroad, has helped to give voice to this issue, improving our situation here”, she added.

During M&T Expo meeting, Ieda was honored for her national and international career, her successful trajectory in the infrastructure area and for being a leader and inspiration for women in the sector. She told a little about her experiences in Brazilian and international companies and pondered that a leader is one who collaborates and listens to the employees, transforming opinions into actions to obtain results. “New female engineers need to prepare because the world is very competitive, the more they know and specialize, the better. But you also need to connect with people to move forward, which means it’s important learning to communicate and not be intimidated.”

In Brazil, two initiatives that connect women in an organized way were presented at the meeting. Giovana Pepino, director of MUC –  Mulheres na Construção [Women in Construction], explained that MUC was created so that women could share their experiences. “Our goal is to connect women, developing an ecosystem where they can talk about their daily lives, promote training and encourage female leadership in the sector,” she added. For this, partnerships are made with companies and associations, to expand diversity in construction.

Infra Women Brazil already has the participation of almost 1300 women who work in the sector. One of the goals is to equip women to face everyday challenges. “We started with a very small group, which has grown a lot. The work is very interesting and rewarding. We know that we are no longer alone and we can talk about the challenges and experiences”, said Marcia Ferrari, president and co-founder of Infra Women Brazil, who added that there are mentoring projects in the institution, as well as the presence of female leaders in several areas, such as airports, ports, mobility, energy, mediation, arbitration, financing, energy, which have autonomy to suggest actions. 

The “Female Representativeness in Infrastructure:Reflection on the challenges of equal opportunities” was the first M&T Expo event in 2023 to bring together exhibitors and visitors to the fair, in an environment that fosters knowledge and relationships. The next meeting will be held on April 25, at the Associação Paulista dos Empreiteiros e Locadores de Máquinas de Terraplenagem, Ar Comprimido, Hidráulico e Equipamentos de Construção Civil [São Paulo Association of Contractors and Lessors of Earthmoving Machines, Compressed Air, Hydraulics and Civil Construction Equipment] (Apelmat), and will discuss opportunities in the rental sector.

These meetings are part of 365’s project, which encourages interaction between buyers and companies and provides an opportunity to expand relationships with different audiences to open new businesses. Another action within this project is support and presence at partner events.

M&T Expo is organized by Messe Muenchen do Braszil and has institutional support of the Associação Brasileira de Tecnologia para Construção e Mineração (Sobratema) [Brazilian Association of Technology for Construction and Mining]. The fair next edition will take place from April 23 to 26, 2024, at São Paulo Expo. In 2022, it had more than 600 exhibiting brands in 54 thousand square meters. In the content part, there were 192 hours of programming, and participation of 52 lecturers and experts.

About the M&T Expo

M&T Expo 2024 will be held  from April 23 to April 26, 2024, at São Paulo Expo. Messe Muenchen do Brasil organized M&T Expo together with its institutional partner, Associação Brasileira de Tecnologia para Construção e Mineração (Sobratema) [Brazilian Association of Technology for Construction and Mining], which is part of the bauma NETWORK, the largest international network of events for the construction and mining equipment industry and is considered the most important trade show for the industry in Latin America.

About Messe Muenchen

As one of the largest trade show companies in the world, with around 50 trade shows for capital goods, consumer goods and new technologies, Messe München sets new standards for innovation, flexibility and networking. Together with major international trade shows such as bauma, electronica, iFAT and BAU, Messe München is constantly expanding its portfolio by adding, for example, digital formats. At its headquarters in Munich, it holds high quality trade shows, conferences and events. It operates in all major growing markets such as China, India, Brazil and Turkey. Its network of member companies and foreign agencies,  is present in more than 100 countries.

About Messe Muenchen do Brasil 

As part of the international expansion strategy, in 2017 the subsidiary Messe Muenchen do Brasil was founded with the purpose of bringing to the domestic market the levels of excellence and innovation established at the German headquarters and supporting the development of trade shows in a specialized  and internationalized direction.

About Sobratema

Associação Brasileira de Tecnologia para Construção e Mineração (Sobratema) has operated for more than 30 years in generating business and developing the construction, mining, rental, agribusiness and environmental sustainability sectors. It has more than 600 members, and the entity’s programs cover different aspects of these segments, including the dissemination of qualified and unpublished content on the market, the dissemination of technical and technological knowledge, interaction between professionals in the industry, offering strategic tools used in these segments, exchanges with innovative international technologies and professional training and certification.

Service to the Press:

Mechanics Strategic Communication
Enio Campoi
Mobile: +55 (11) 99981-9950
Email: enio@meccanica.com.br