Maria Browne Wants Women to Embrace the Construction Industry

Housing Minister Maria Browne is advocating for more women to pursue careers in the construction industry, expressing concern over the lack of female representation in this field.

During Tuesday’s debate on the National Budget, she mentioned that in her role overseeing housing development and works, she has encountered only a small number of women involved in construction.

She said construction is predominantly a male field, and she has only met a few women who are interested in it.

In fact, we had about ten interns from the Harrison Centre assigned to National Housing this year and all have agreed to stay on after they were offered permanent jobs by the agency; among them was one female,” she said

Minister Browne emphasized her desire to see an increase in the number of women entering the construction sector.

She pointed out the country’s acute shortage of skilled workers, which has prompted the government to consider allowing skilled non-nationals to come to Antigua and Barbuda to fill those gaps.

She highlighted that wages in the construction industry are quite competitive and assured that women who enter this field can expect attractive pay.

“You would have heard of the construction boom, the attractive wages and Ibelieve that it is time for our women to tap into that industry; whether it is heavy- duty, construction itself or construction management, there are many avenues for revenue-generation, especially for single mothers,” she said

Minister Browne underlined that the potential for women in this sector is vast and made a heartfelt appeal for more women to step forward and take advantage of the numerous benefits available in construction.