SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife resident is frustrated with what she says are exclusionary signs posted around a downtown construction site.
Katie Westoll thinks signs used by construction companies should be gender-neutral, to show that trades are for everyone. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo |
The bright orange signs are stationed around the new seven-storey GNWT building being built on 49 Street. They read, "Men working ahead."
Katie Westoll noticed the signs about a month ago while the alley behind the construction site was being blocked off.
The problem with them, according to Westoll, is that they reinforce the idea that trades, in this case construction, are for men only.
"We tell girls they can do anything and then they turn around and see this? It doesn't make any sense," said Westoll.
Clark Builders, the company in charge of the $25-million contract to construct the 6,000-square-metre building, responded that the company doesn't custom make its signs.
The contractor just uses the industry standard and there are no gender-neutral construction signs.
"The issue isn't Clark Builders, it's whoever makes the sign. You can't expect companies to have custom signs made, but if there was enough demand things could change," said Jan Fullerton, executive director of Skills Canada NWT.
Across the NWT, there were 460 people registered as apprentices as of March 8. Of those 460, 33 are women, according to Fullerton.
There's an increased push to make trades more accessible for women, said Westoll. Women in skilled trade and technology careers comprise less than three per cent of the workforce countrywide.
Westoll agreed it's not the fault of Clark Builders, but if more people notice then there's a better chance things could change.
"Trades are for everyone and even if there are no women working on site now, there could be earlier or in the future," said Westoll.
A gender-neutral sign, one that simply states "construction ahead," would be all that's needed, said Westoll.
"If I had seen them, would I have noticed? There are so many messages in this society, there has to be people that notice these signs and bring them to attention," said Fullerton. "It certainly is reinforcing the idea that men are the only ones in trades."
