Tradeswomen Building Bridges 2022 London Delegation

This past summer, the third delegation of Tradeswomen Building Bridges went abroad. After two trips to India, the destination this time was the United Kingdom for networking and learning exchange. Tradeswomen Building Bridges is a volunteer organization of North American tradeswomen. Their goal is to build transnational solidarity among women working in the trades. They do this by exchanging best practices, and learning more about the lives and working conditions of tradeswomen globally. Tradeswomen Building Bridges hopes to make construction occupations more equitable, diverse and inclusive.

In the UK, women only make up 1% of those employed in the trades.

The 2022 London delegation was a success! Delegates worked with the Reclaim Holloway Women Prison Campaign to champion for tradeswomen’s involvement in building the new project. They visited two work sites and several pre-apprenticeship programs, spoke to community advocates, and participated in many workshops. The delegates also attended a demonstration with 30,000 UK workers in Parliament Square demanding a living wage, security for all workers, bargaining rights and tax on energy profits.

After a tour at the Palace of Westminster, where the UK Parliament meets, delegates were invited to attend a reception hosted by Member of Parliament Emily Thornberry. At the reception, delegates were able to exchange ideas with members of Parliament, peers and business leaders on how to attract and retain women into construction. This trip was an amazing opportunity for the women who participated to be able to share experiences and work to improve the lives of tradeswomen around the globe.

To learn more about Tradeswomen Building Bridges and the 2022 London Delegation, visit our website: https://tradeswomenbuild.org/ 

October 2022