Women construction workers in Bolivia face sexism at work

Bolivian women who work in construction constantly face sexism and humiliation from men. Sometimes they have to hide to avoid unwanted attention and harassment. Many of the women have to sleep with foremen in order to get paid. Reina Quispe told The Guardian about this, she runs the Association of Women in Construction in Bolivia and has worked in construction since she was a teenager.

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), about 21 thousand women work on construction sites in Bolivia - this is 5% of the total number of all workers. Almost two thirds do not receive wages for their work. For example, some women accompany their construction worker husbands. They know virtually nothing about their rights and often face domestic and sexualized violence on construction sites. According to ILO statistics, the wage gap between men and women reaches 40%.

According to Reina Quispe, women generally do not have career opportunities in construction. And they work almost all their lives as assistants. Male builders believe that women do not understand anything about construction work, so they do not allow them to take on more complex tasks.

However, even though men are physically stronger, women construction workers excel in other areas. For example, they are better at painting, tiling and flooring, Quispe points out. In addition, women builders take a much more responsible approach to their employment - they are always punctual and clean up the workplace after themselves. According to other members of the Association of Women in Construction, their situation is now gradually improving.

“I still experience sexism, but it used to be much worse. I have never seen women working in construction reach career heights before. But now everything is changing. I want people to stop discriminating against us. When I see women construction workers, I think they are very brave,” said Rocío Condori, 28, a single mother who works in construction.