Mandy Bujold's Column September
Making Room for Allyship: Why the Future of Women in Construction Includes Everyone
For years, Women in Construction events have served an important purpose: creating space for women to connect with other women. That space matters. Construction can still feel like a room where women are underrepresented, and there is real value in having opportunities to step into a room where you can share experiences, ask questions, build relationships and learn from people who understand your journey. That has always been an important part of the work of the GVCA Women in Construction Committee.
As our conversations have evolved, so has an important question: If we want to see more women succeed in construction, who else needs to be part of the conversation?
The answer is allies.
At GVCA, we are trying to find the right balance. We will continue to create opportunities specifically for women because those spaces are valuable. They give women the opportunity to connect, build confidence, share experiences and grow together. Creating space is only one part of the equation. If we want more women at the table, we also need to make sure the people already sitting at that table understand how they can help open the door, make room and create opportunities for others. That is where allyship comes in. From finding your voice to using your influence.
Our upcoming Women in Construction deConstructed event on October 15 is a great example of where this conversation is headed.
Led by leadership developer and keynote speaker Lesley Hawkins, Shape the Room: Building Strategic Influence and Allyship will be a practical, hands-on workshop focused on three channels of influence.
Participants will explore how to recognize and enlist the allies already around them, build influence with intention and navigate rooms where they may be the minority. The session will also look at what it means to be a true ally and how both women and men can use their influence to open doors, amplify voices and create more inclusive workplaces. The goal isn’t simply to talk about influence. It’s to leave with something you can actually use.
We all know having a seat at the table is important but knowing how to influence the conversation once you’re there is even more powerful.
Oftentimes, the person who can help change the conversation isn’t the person who needs the change. It’s the person sitting beside them. Allyship isn’t about giving someone a seat. It’s about helping change the room. This is an important distinction. Allyship isn’t about speaking for women. It isn’t about rescuing women and it certainly isn’t about taking up space that should belong to someone else.
It’s about recognizing where you have influence and using it intentionally. Maybe that means making sure someone’s idea gets heard in a meeting. Maybe it means challenging an outdated assumption about what a construction leader looks like. Maybe it means asking whose voice is missing from the conversation. Or maybe it simply means being willing to listen, learn and understand an experience that isn’t your own. These actions may seem small, but culture is built through thousands of small actions.
From deConstructed to HERizon
That conversation will continue into our HERizon Banquet.
Formerly known as the Sparkler, HERizon has been reimagined with the same core purpose: celebrating women who are contributing to and shaping the construction industry. Similar to last year we’ve expanded the room and we are intentionally inviting male allies to join us. In fact, we’re encouraging attendees to think about who they can bring to the table, with the hope that every table includes allies who are ready to listen, celebrate and be part of the conversation.
Why? Celebrating women is important but celebration alone doesn’t create change. Connection does, conversation does, and, ultimately, action does.
We want HERizon to be a room where women are recognized for what they bring to construction, while also creating opportunities for the people around them to understand how they can contribute to a stronger, more inclusive industry.
The goal isn’t to take away from the importance of women-only spaces. It’s to build on them. We need rooms where women can gather together. We also need rooms where women and allies can gather together. We need both.
The construction industry is built on collaboration. Every project requires different people, perspectives, skills and experiences working together toward a common goal. Building a more inclusive industry shouldn’t be any different.
If we want to attract more women, retain more women and see more women move into leadership, this cannot be a conversation women have on their own. It has to become an industry conversation. At GVCA, that’s the conversation we’re committed to having.
Join the conversation
Women in Construction deConstructed: Shape the Room: Building Strategic Influence and Allyship
October 15, 2026
Learn more and register for deConstructed
HERizon Banquet
A celebration of women in construction and the allies helping shape its future.
Nov 19, 2026