Category Archives: women

When power speaks truth, or What is policy anyway?

Posted on September 22, 2015 by

I receive a daily news digest for anything that crosses the internet with the terms “India,” “women” and “construction.” Today I received “A peek into the lives of women construction workers.” The article has lots of pictures and tells the … Continue reading →

Posted in children, construction, women | Leave a comment

“Why toddlers are on a leash in Delhi”

Posted on September 16, 2015 by

From the Times of India today, national laws, such as the Contract Labour Act, the Building and Other Construction Workers Act and the Inter-State Migrants Act, have childcare provisions for women working in construction. Mobile Creches have been available on … Continue reading →

Posted in children, construction, mobile creches, women | Leave a comment

Kudumbashree: Kerala’s all women’s construction company

Posted on August 24, 2015 by

This is a terrific video by the BBC on the Kudumbashree Construction Companies. “Kudumbashree” is the southern Indian state of Kerala’s mission to wipe out poverty through community action and the empowerment of women. The literal meaning of Kudumbashree is … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, Kudumbashree, training, women | Tagged | Leave a comment

India To Build Homes For All

Posted on August 22, 2015 by

“When it comes to the scene of construction activity in India, images of poor workers–both men and women on faded torn clothes carrying red bricks on their heads–dominate the catalogue. Although India has progressed a lot in its 68-year post … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, women | 1 Comment

Building India’s cities, silent workforce of women goes unrecognized

Posted on August 18, 2015 by

This Jan 11, 2015 article by Nita Bhallo from Reuters describes the conditions of many of India’s women construction workers and the work of SEWA in training women and educating them on their rights. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/12/us-india-women-construction-idUSKBN0KL00920150112

Posted in construction, headloads, women | Leave a comment

The Women in Hard Hats

Posted on July 27, 2015 by

I hope to visit the Archana Women’s Centre (AWC), near Kottayam in Kerala, when I am in India next year. The Centre is training women in the skilled construction trades. Here is an article from the Times of India on … Continue reading →

Posted in Kudumbashree, training, women | Leave a comment

The beginning

Posted on July 22, 2015 by

In 1995, my friend and research partner, carpenter Liz Skidmore, came back from the UN Conference on Women in Beijing and told me an amazing story. In a workshop for tradeswomen that Liz and Connie Ashbrook (elevator constructor and Director … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, Fulbright, women | 1 Comment