Professional Development of Female Engineers in the Thai Construction Industry

Although the number of female civil engineers in the Thai construction industry has been on the rise for over a decade, there have not been sufficient studies regarding their career advancement once they have entered the industry. In Thailand, the construction industry is associated with male domination, characterized by physical strength, adaptation to harsh outdoor working conditions, and abusive language. As such, career advancement for female engineers in the construction industry poses a considerable challenge. In this paper, an empirical review of operational roles of professional women within the Thai construction industry is presented. Findings from a pilot study indicated that the lack of fieldwork knowledge was the most serious problem, preventing women not only from career advancement but also from performing their work effectively. This stemmed from two main factors, namely their refusal to perform site-based work, and the lack of opportunities to perform site-based work.