Women now represent more than three per cent of the workforce in the construction industry in Quebec, a goal set in 2015 by the Commission de la Construction du Québec’s equal access program.

At the time, the commission had aimed to reach its goal of three per cent by 2018, which would have doubled the proportion of women in the industry. The three per cent objective was met in 2021, according to preliminary data from the Commission de la Construction du Québec or CCQ.

More specifically, in 2021, there were 6,224 women working on construction sites in Quebec, or 3.27 per cent of the active workforce, compared with 4,849 women, or 2.73 per cent of the active workforce in 2020. In 2021, 3,898 construction companies hired women, or 14.7 per cent of companies in the industry, compared with 3,294 companies in 2020.

“I am delighted, optimistic, but clear-minded,” said Diane Lemieux, CCQ president and director-general.

“It took time, that’s clear. Something really happened,” said Lemieux, who added that she believes the phenomenon is “irreversible.”

Lemieux said the scarcity of labour in the construction industry may have something to do with it, with employers more open to hiring women because of the overall drop in the number of graduates in the field. “There is no denying that the shortage has forced their hand,” Lemieux said.

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