Constructing Rainbows

Linked to the gender pay gap, and that women take more time out for caring responsibilities, this means that women are receiving an average £7,600 per year less than men in their pensions. At this rate the gap won’t be closed until 2061.

The gender pension gap is closing, but it’s still at 36.5%, which means the equivalent of women stopping receiving their pension on 21st August this year.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

Well I’m glad its popularity is coming back, and I know there will be millions cheering the Lionesses on tomorrow. Let’s hope we can bring home the trophy 🏆

It’s a really odd thing to do with their time, especially as the Lionesess keep proving time and again what great role models they are on and off the pitch.

Let’s not also forget that the FA banned women’s football for 50 years - because it was too popular.

The research shows that when the footballers were blurred out, the ratings given were equal for men and women. When they weren’t, the men rated the women lower.
I read the comments under each post about the Lionesses there are so many angry men who seem to watch them play just to slate them.

Spectators found to have biased view of women’s football The way in which women’s football is viewed is skewed by gender stereotypes, according to a Swiss study.

As I pack my bag to head over to Switzerland to watch the Lionesses in the final, I thought it worth sharing this research on gender bias in football viewing.

www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/...

Study: For 60 Years, Kids' TV Cast Boys As Doers And Girls As Passive New research reveals that the language in kid’s TV is reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes, and that little has changed in 60 years.  In some cases, it’s getting worse.

We know gender stereotyping starts from a young age, and this new research highlights how it is ingrained in US children’s TV as men/ boys are cast as doers and women/girls the done-tos.

Sadly there has been little change in the last 60 years.

www.forbes.com/sites/kimels...

Loved seeing Leeds Pride bigger and better than ever (and the rain mostly held off).

I might be biased but highlights include Building Equality 🌈 🚜 and Leeds College of Building with their hard hats. 👷‍♀️

#loveislove

'Sighing in frustration' found to be disability discrimination in ADHD tribunal ruling A UK employment tribunal has ruled that nonverbal expressions of frustration can amount to disability discrimination.

This case has highlighted that non-verbal expressions of frustration can amount to disability discrimination as it contributed to a degrading and humiliating working environment.

hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/empl...

How committed is the construction sector to improving LGBTQ+ inclusion and visibility? Some construction companies show their support for the LGBTQ+ community by taking part in parades, o...

How committed is the construction sector to improving LGBTQ+ inclusion and visibility?

We spoke to representatives from Balfour Beatty, Costain, Great British Energy - Nuclear and Constructing Rainbows (@constructrainbows.bsky.social‬)

Full story: buff.ly/B4JZhmr

Help us make panel discussions more inclusive — share your experience We’re inviting people from underrepresented backgrounds to share their experiences of being asked to speak on panels and at industry events within the built environment sector.Too often, we hear stori...

We need your help, we’re doing a study into the experience of diverse speakers within the built environment sector in partnership with UKREiiF and would love to hear your thoughts. Survey closes 23rd June.

www.constructingrainbows.co.uk/post/help-us...

The BSI have launched a draft standard BS30480 Suicide and the workplace - Intervention, prevention and support for people affected by suicide - Guide. The consultation is open until the 16th July, please do have your say on it.

surveys.bsigroup.com/wix/3/p63864...

We can all do our bit, no matter how big or small, and if the wearing of 🏳️‍⚧️ laces helps the trans people in our league feel a little bit supported, agains the backdrop of The Football Association ‘s ban, then that is what I will do (and also get 🏳️‍⚧️ laces for the rest of my team too!)

The levels of abuse that LGBT+ people receive daily is totally unacceptable, the online vitriol on any LGBT+ related post goes on and on. We know the majority of people are allies, but we really need you to be vocal and visible at this time, we can’t fight this discrimination on our own.

Today is International Day Against Homohobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (#IDAHOBIT), and sadly it feels more needed this year than I remember in my lifetime.

When one of my friends tried to tell me that rainbow laces 🏳️‍🌈 didn’t include trans rights support, I thought I needed to make it more explicit about who needs our support most at the moment.

In this blog we spoke to Hannah Freeman Jarvis from the Tap Specialist about how she has set up her business to do things differently.

Why supplier diversity matters: Empowering female-owned businesses in the built environment sector The built environment is more than bricks and mortar - it’s a reflection of the values and voices we choose to elevate. Yet historically, women-owned, and other underrepresented businesses, have faced...

Many of our clients feel they need to get their own EDI house in order before asking their supply chain to do the same. But are you aware of the positive impact you can have by including minority-owned businesses in your supply chain?

www.constructingrainbows.co.uk/post/why-sup...

The Living Wage Foundation have reported that women are 50% more likely to be paid less than the Real Living Wage. The “sticky floor”, whereby people struggle to get out of low paid and insecure jobs, impacts women significantly more than men.

Women 50% more likely to be paid below real living wage Women 50% more likely to be paid below real living wage

As the National Living Wage goes up for many people in the UK, so are many household bills.

The Real Living Wage is calculated but the actual cost of living and factors in household bill increases.

www.facilitatemagazine.com/content/news/2025/03/05/women-are-50-more-likely-be-low-paid

This report recommends workplace action of awareness campaigns, getting employee feedback and policy reviews.

Some US states have stepped in and brought in legislation. In the UK although the Equality Act protects against race discrimination, it does not specifically mention hair, and people are campaigning for a change in the law.

Hair discrimination is so bad that many Black women use chemical hair straightening agents that can affect their health.

How Hair Discrimination Affects Black Women at Work Despite some progress over the past few years, race-based hair discrimination still remains a widespread issue for Black women in the workplace. A recent study showed that Black women’s hair was two-a...

Can you imagine not getting a job because of your hair? Or being sent home from work because someone finds your hair unprofessional? Well this is the experience of many Black women who experience hair discrimination.

hbr.org/2023/05/how-...?

But there is positive news: three fifths of Australians believe things would be better if more women were in positions of responsibility in government and companies; and two-thirds believe that young women today will have better lives than their mothers generation.

The narrative that gender equality is a zero-sum game, and that the advancement of women is the cause of all societal problems is being played upon by media and some politicians.

Gen Z are more divided than any other generation on gender equality, survey shows More than half of Australian men believe they are being asked to contribute too much towards achieving gender equality.

This global survey highlights a tension between men and women, which is observed much more in Gen Z than Baby Boomers. This is a divide that needs to be reduced if we are to progress towards gender equality.

womensagenda.com.au/latest/aussi...

Government backs paid miscarriage bereavement leave A group of MPs want workers to get the right to leave if they suffer a miscarriage before 24 weeks.

Current legislation doesn’t allow for people taking time off work to grieve if they lose a baby in the early stages of pregnancy. Some companies have been bringing in policies, so it’s great to see the UK Government considering adding into their upcoming employment bill.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Bearing in mind many neurodiverse people haven’t been diagnosed, nor do many even know they are neurodiverse, they could be cutting out some really top talent from your recruitment process.

How personality tests are locking autistic people out of jobs Experts say psychometric tests make job applications challenging for neurodivergent people

Psychometric testing has been around for a while now, supposedly a way of checking whether people have the “right fit” for a company.

This article discusses the negative impact these tests have on neurodiverse individuals chances of getting the job.

theweek.com/business/job...