Surety Bond Professionals is a family owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. With access to a broad range of surety markets, our expert agents are ready to assist with all of your construction bond needs.
Origin of the National Association of Women in Construction
Historically, construction has been male-dominated. In 1953, the relatively small number of women working in construction in the Fort Worth, Texas area felt a need to support and be supported by their female peers. That need for networking and support resulted in the formation of Women in Construction.
It soon became apparent that all over the country, women trying to make a place for themselves in the construction industry would benefit greatly from an organization like Women in Construction. And in May 1955, Women in Construction revised its charter to add chapters throughout the U.S., changing the organization’s name to The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). There are now more than 115 NAWIC chapters located in 47 states, organized into eight regions: Northeast, South Atlantic, Southeast, North Central, Midwest, South Central, Pacific Northwest, and Pacific Southwest.
NAWIC is affiliated with NAWIC organizations in other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Qatar, and the United Kingdom, and with similar organizations, such as the Canadian Association of Women in Construction and South African Women in Construction.
Who Can Join NAWIC?
Only women working in some aspect of the construction industry for at least 20 hours per week and belonging to a NAWIC chapter can be voting members of NAWIC. Employment in any construction trades or project management, administrative, legal, insurance, or finance role related to construction qualifies a woman for active membership. Those who do not meet the requirements for active membership but still want to be involved with NAWIC may become nonvoting members.
NAWIC Governance
The national organization is governed by a board of directors. All regional directors serve on the board, along with the national executive committee, which comprises: the president, president-elect, vice president, secretary, treasurer, immediate past president, parliamentarian, and executive director.
NAWIC Programs and Services
NAWIC provides a number of educational and other services to support its members’ professional and technical education and leadership development. For example, the NAWIC Founders Scholarship Foundation, established in 1963, provides financial support to students in trade or undergraduate degree programs, awarding more than $100,000 in scholarships yearly.
In 1971, the NAWIC Education Foundation (NEF) was created to provide educational opportunities for children and adults, offering:
- Block Kids, a building competition for elementary school children (grades K-6),
- Create Design Build, a team-based construction project for students in grades 8 through 12,
- A Design Drafting competition for students in high school and college, and
- For adults, construction industry certification programs accredited by the American Council for Construction Education
In addition, NAWIC sponsors a variety of leadership and OSHA training sessions and construction-related webinars.
NAWIC also offers two publications of interest to women in construction:
- NAWIC Today, published bimonthly for members and nonmembers, and
- The Connection, a newsletter published biweekly for members only.
Finally, there’s the annual NAWIC conference held in August, and regional conferences held twice during the year. And the first full week in March has been designated as Women in Construction Week since NAWIC instituted it in 1998. It’s a week full of events and activities intended to recognize the accomplishments of women in construction, including presentations, job tours, and other live and virtual events presented by NAWIC and its chapters.
Moving Forward
The number of woman-owned construction businesses continues to grow, and female contractors find themselves bidding against other companies. That often involves purchasing a bid bond, and for the winning bidder, obtaining a performance bond, payment bond, or any of the other surety bonds commonly required in the construction industry. The more professional education and practical experience contractors have, the better positioned they are to be approved for the necessary construction bonds.
Surety bond underwriters look carefully at a contractor’s industry experience and capabilities when evaluating applications for construction bonds. Over time, with increased experience and a number of successful projects under their belts, woman-owned construction companies can build their bonding capacity.
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