The origins of Tradeswomen Building Bridges go back to meeting of tradeswomen in China in 1995. 1995. In 1995, at the Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women, three United States-based female construction workers—commonly known as “tradeswomen” in the west– proposed and facilitated a workshop for women working in the construction sector. The workshop was in a very small room and the organizers expected a handful of women to show up. Over 60 women from India, Pakistan, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Japan, the United States, Denmark and England came to the workshop and participated in the first-ever international discussion of work and working conditions by women in construction. The event was documented in the 2006 film Transnational Tradeswomen. Many things were talked about that day. Decades later those who participated remember one revelation as the most remarkable. Women from developed economies described systematic exclusion from good paying careers in a male-dominated industry. Women from developing economies described being relegated to the most menial, backbreaking and dangerous work within the same industry. One participant summarized the feelings in the workshop as, “In the North they say we are not strong enough; in the South they say we are not smart enough.” Tradeswomen Building Bridges grows out of the sharing that happened that day in 1995. As the construction industry has become global, women who work in the industry need their own global platform to have their voices heard. Although working conditions for women vary widely, exploitation of women and ineffective government intervention are constants in the global construction sector. We are committed to helping build a global network of women working in construction.
Press conference in Beijing with tradeswomen from Thailand
North American and European tradeswomen in Beijing 1995
Twenty years later, Dr. Susan Moir, a long time researcher of tradeswomen’s issues, received a Fulbright Award to spend time in India learning about the lives of India’s women construction workers. Her research is published in the Indian journal Labour & Development.
In 2016, Dr. Moir returned to India with the “First Delegation of US Tradeswomen to India.“
Tradeswomen Building Bridges: the North American Network of Women Working in the Construction Trades 
I’m following your blog!
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Susan I just read your proposal, you certainly have taken a large ‘bite’ of work. I look forward to reading as you systematically report on your successes.
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Thanks Barb. I had a fun time at lunch and hope to see you once more before I leave!
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Hello, I’m trying to find organizations who are affiliated with Tradeswomen Build Bridges on this website. Unions would be much more likely sponsor member participation, if a there were a clear link to your organization.
Thank you
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We are Tradeswomen Building Bridges and this is the link to us. Could you say more about your comment?
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Is TBB affiliated with any specific organizations? As a tradeswoman, I’d like to attend some of your events, but lack funding. I could get funding if TBB were recognized/affiliated with things like NABTU, AFL-CIO, etc. Is that more clear?
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Good questions, Kat. All of our members are affiliated with their local unions. As an organization– or as we call it, a network– we are not affiliated with any national federation. Email us as tradeswomenbb@gmail.com and we will set you up with member who is looking at funding options for the London Delegation. All of our other activities, network meetings and webinars, are free.
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