Commentary
Gaining the skills to build has been a struggle for women who aspire to participate in the construction of their own dwellings or work within the construction industry. Many excuses are given as to why women cannot be included; the work is too heavy or dirty, there are no toilet facilities available, or that women will be offended by behavior of their male colleagues.

Construction classes run for and often by women are sometimes offered to remedy this situation, but it largely remains unaddressed. This leaves women in a position to work only as unskilled laborers being paid at the lowest rates, while the reasons for the exclusion of women from training programs cease to be of concern.