Female Needs In The Trade Industry Ignored, New Survey Reveals

New research suggests females are being widely ignored across skilled trade workplaces, which can act as a barrier as participation.

One in five women working in the electrical industry don't have access to sanitary bins in their workplace, according to a national survey by the Electrical Trades Union.

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The survey, which examined 2,656 responses from women in the trades sector, found multiple inconsistencies between males and females in the industy, which led to serious concerns to womens' health and safety.

Nearly half of the female respondents said they raised an issue in their workplace about inadequate amenities - compared to the less than 30 per cent of males who brought issues to attention.

The results have called for a review into setting minimum health and safety standards for workplace amenities.

"Suitable toilets aren't 'nice to haves'. Having access to hygienic, reliable and adequate loos at work should be a basic expectation and a no brainer in 2022," ETU's acting national secretary Michael Wright said.

"White-collar workers expect these basic standards, yet for women on construction sites, there's still no guarantee of a usable toilet."

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