International Women’s Day is a day for all of us, male and female, to celebrate the women in our lives. As a mother of two young daughters, I am acutely aware of how important it is to eradicate gender stereotypes from a very young age – it’s not as easy a task as I might have expected! But all of us that operate in the workplace right now have a duty to also rid ourselves of those stereotypes.
I am really impressed with the vibrant workforce here at mac-group. Whilst I might be the only female at board level today, I can certainly see in the not too distant future how that continues to become a more gender balanced picture.
In most industries, the danger of ‘group-think’ is well acknowledged now. International Women’s Day is a day for leaders in the construction industry to turn a corner – change a mindset – and open up to a talent pool that is different to what has been the norm, but offers immense value. With the current skills shortage, it is hard to justify not questioning the norm and asking ourselves ‘why not’?
In our quest for equality we always want diversity – we don’t all want to be the same. But we do want access to the same opportunities. – Michele Deely, mac-group COO.
Equality is not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue.
Gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive. According to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office, only 8% of Irish construction industry employees are female. In 2019, women at mac made up 20% of #TEAMmac employees, this figure has risen to 24% in 2020 and continues to rise. There is a dearth of women in C-Suite positions in the construction industry with Michele Deely being a rarity as mac-group’s COO.
In our continued efforts to promote diversity, mac-group are now members of the 30% Club Ireland. This is a collaborative business-led effort to make real change in Ireland, aiming towards 30% female representation in senior management by 2020.
Paul McKenna mac-group CEO
Want to join #TEAMmac? Talk to HR today recruit@mac-group.com
