A construction industry awards event has sparked a sexism row after featuring female performers in skin-tight, builder-themed outfits, leading to widespread criticism and calls for change within the sector.
On The Tools, an online community for builders, faced backlash when photos emerged from its recent awards ceremony showing women in tight-fitting costumes modeled on personal protective equipment (PPE) and performing on stilts.
Faye Allen, a diversity campaigner and former director at construction company Arcadis, said she was contacted by “horrified” attendees of the event, including one woman who “literally walked into a crotch.” Allen expressed her frustration: “There’s a lot of issues over PPE. We’ve been fighting really hard for PPE that fits women and other diverse groups. To have people put on hi-vis colours and dress like that is frustrating.”
She added, “I’ve been in the industry for 30 years—I stopped working for contractors on site because I got sick of the way I was treated, and women are still being treated that way today. It has to change.”
Harriet Waley-Cohen, another diversity advocate, shared her dismay in a LinkedIn post, stating she was “appalled by the regressive, sexist messaging” of the event. “The promo women would have been signed off at the highest level. Anyone who wanted to question it either didn’t feel safe to speak, or their concerns weren’t listened to. Everyone involved decided that it’s OK to sexualise and devalue women in the industry, and portray that women are there for their sexual desirability, not their brains or talents,” she wrote.
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