On March 8, communities around the world celebrate International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to recognizing the achievements of women and a call to action for advancing gender parity.
Women working on the Gordie Howe International Bridge play a valuable role in every aspect of the day-to-day operations of the project from engineering, human resources, government relations and communications to onsite construction. Their contributions and hard work are a crucial component to the success of this once-in-a-generation undertaking.
This year’s Government of Canada theme for International Women’s Day is, “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,” and, in keeping with this, the Gordie Howe International Bridge project is paying tribute to the incredible women who are breaking down barriers daily in the skilled trades. These women are paving the way for future generations to excel in traditionally male-dominated industries like construction and engineering.
Read about four of the talented women working on the Gordie Howe International Bridge below.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is also proud to support programs that champion women entering the trades in the communities in which our project is being built. The project’s Workforce Development and Participation Strategy includes seven initiatives that specifically support professional development, provide mentorship and promote careers in the construction and skilled trades industries for local women and Indigenous women in Canada. The project team works closely with delivery partners in each community to deliver upon these commitments. One example of this, is the project team’s partnership with Women’s Enterprise Skills Training (WEST) of Windsor. Since 2020, industry tours of the Canadian bridge site have been offered to several cohorts of WEST’s Introduction to Construction and Craft Trades for Women (ICCTW) program to provide exposure to this complex construction project and facilitate networking with women working on the project. As a result of this partnership, Bridging North America has hired three women from the ICCTW program.
As we celebrate International Women's Day, we extend our gratitude all women contributing to the Gordie Howe International Bridge project. Thank you for inspiring us all and paving the way for future generations of women in trades.
