SANTO DOMINGO.- Believing in oneself, doing things with passion, offering and receiving opportunities to build leadership, overcoming fear and working as a team, were some of the main challenges cited yesterday by seven professionals from the construction industry, during their participation in a panel to analyze the challenges and opportunities of the female population in the sector.
The opinions were expressed during the second edition of the panel “Women Who Build”, organized by ACOPROVI, Association of Housing Builders and Promoters, with the participation of a large group of representatives from that field of the Dominican economy, on the occasion of commemorating International Women's Day this month.
“My biggest challenge has been believing in myself. Making decisions in difficult situations. When I took office, there were comments about my young age to assume such a great responsibility. I have demonstrated that with commitment, passion, discipline, and teamwork, results are achieved,” stated Daniela Argelis Martínez, Vice Minister of Housing of Panama.
Arlina Vásquez Rondón, supply chain director for the Dominican Republic-Puerto Rico-Haiti cluster, who worked for 19 years at CEMEX Dominicana, believes that the challenge for women is to earn respect and demonstrate their capabilities in their roles. She notes that female participation in the construction sector has begun to rise, and that currently, women comprise 14% of the workforce in the cement industry.
For Adis Ozuna, president of the Dominican Republic Society of Architects, her greatest challenge began when she became a mother, having to balance her professional role with motherhood. As a woman, she says, she has faced no barriers and believes that the primary task for women is to redefine the rules of the game in a male-dominated world.
Liza Ortega, the architect in charge of the Dominican stand at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR), grew up in a family business and for her, her biggest challenge as a second-generation member is to demonstrate that her leadership and respect were not given to her because she is the "owner's daughter," but because of her ability.
“Doing it well and with passion is what matters, in addition to respect for others,” was the approach of Patricia Reid Baquero, interior designer and interior design teacher.
The second installment of “Women Who Build” was held at the Intercontinental Hotel on Winston Churchill Avenue, with architect Jorge Montalvo, former president of ACOPROVI, serving as moderator.
Regarding women's contributions to the construction sector, Jackeline Serulle, an architect with over 26 years of experience in housing design, highlights women's multifaceted nature: “We are productive, efficient, and organized. We are empathetic because we put ourselves in other people's shoes.”.
Liza Ortega emphasizes that women always propose practical solutions to problems; Adis Ozuna spoke about how diverse the female population is and how it is capable of helping its peers to assume leadership roles.
“I feel that we observe the potential of our close network and collaborators and motivate them to develop. We are conciliatory and cautious so that things can be achieved,” declares Julissa Burgos, third vice president of ACOPROVI.
Among the opportunities for improvement, the presenters cited adequate workspaces, ensuring that academia encourages women from a young age to choose careers without masculine labels, making female leadership more visible, offering greater opportunities, among other aspects.
Increase in female quota
ACOPROVI highlights a growth of nearly 90% in female participation within the construction sector, citing data from the Department of National Accounts and Economic Statistics of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, which, through the National Continuous Labor Force Survey (ENCFT), showed how the participation of women in the sector grew by 90% in comparison to the end of 2021 versus 2022, going from 6,806 people to 12,880, according to the association.
She highlighted the election of engineer Annerys Meléndez de Melo as president of the organization.
“For us, one of our most important missions is to ensure that women gradually gain greater prominence within such a vital and productive sector for the country. Efforts like the Women Who Build panel not only help us remember the importance of gender equality in our sector, but also represent the promotion of spaces for visibility and the creation of strategies that increasingly empower women in sectors with broad social relevance like ours. We are delighted to see how the number of women who are part of our industry every day has grown. There is still much work to be done, but the foundations are already being laid,” said the newly elected president in her speech.
