RIBA president launches women's campaign on social media

Jane Duncan, president elect of the RIBA, has formally launched a social media campaign to encourage women into construction careers.

Launched to coincide with this Sunday’s International Women’s Day, the first phase of the campaign will focus on raising the visibility of women working in the construction industry around the world.

The campaign is intended to show young women, parents and teachers that careers in construction are not off-limits to girls.

It hopes to provide thousands of female role models by encouraging women working in construction to post images of themselves on social media with the slogan #SeeMeJoinMe.

Duncan said she wants men and women working across the entire global construction industry, from bricklayers and architects to engineers and plumbers to get involved.

“I am determined during my presidency to play an active role in making this fantastic industry more inclusive and diverse,” she said.

Just 12% of people working in UK construction are women.

The campaign, which will run on Facebook and LinkedIn as well, has also launched a Thunderclap – which will allow everyone who signs up to it to simultaneously tweet at a specified time on International Women’s Day.