"People want to put you in boxes," says former MP and construction group non-executive

IN honour of International Women’s Day yesterday, TheBusinessDesk.com spoke to Meg Munn, former MP and current non-executive director for Esh Group.

Ms Munn served as Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department for Education and Skills July 2003 to May 2005. She was Minister for Women and Equality, based at the Department for Communities and Local Government from two years until June 2007.

She was responsible for the Equality Act 2006, and involved in the Work and Families Act 2006, as well as establishing the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

“There is still a huge gender segregation between roles which doesn’t have any real basis for continuing to be so,” said Ms Munn.

“Having a day that highlights that we are still a long way from being equal gives us a chance to address these issues,” she said.

In construction and STEM careers the gender imbalance is particularly palpable.

Ms Munn continued: “People don’t realise a lot of construction roles these days don’t involve the heavy lifting they once did, as machinery takes over. However there is as much a view that men can do other roles as well.”

The need to increase the talent pool in all areas, and particularly engineering and construction, is immediate.

Ms Munn said: “In the wider construction industry, a lot of people retiring, and there is no one to fill the gaps. So the industry needs to appeal, not just to traditional areas, but right across the board.”

The question is, how to do this, creating choice for women as well as men. Ms Mun said: “Raising awareness is very important and the industry needs to do more to support its own, through apprenticeships schemes.”

At Esh, an apprenticeship scheme has been in place, so they are on the right side of levy regulations around apprenticeship schemes. These encourage businesses to get a scheme in place, or face a levy.

Ms Mun mentioned the Women in Science, Technology and Engineering campaign which developed the People Like Me scheme, allowing businesses to identify what kind of person that will match certain job roles.

“There’s a lot of information out there that could help break down stereotypes,” said Ms Munn, “and encourage young people to think more about what a role in construction would look like.”

“People want to put you in boxes, the more that people see men and women can do all roles, the better it will be. Why be put in a box, if you have talent and skills you should have just as much chance in that career as anyone else, male or female.”

She finished: “It really is about getting to people be seen for what they can bring to a business.”