Purpose On average, only 10 percent workers at construction sites are women. This percentage, however, is not due to a lack of interest or capacity, but to discrimination against women, sexual harassment and work safety. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main issues and current difficulties of women workers at construction sites, as well as good practices that might provide a better environment for them. Design/methodology/approach Interviews were carried out with workers and engineers who work/have worked at construction sites, to gather material for a discussion about the gender gap in this environment. The interviews were structured and analyzed around the following topics: acceptance, well-being, installations, gender perception and good practices. Findings The hiring of women usually occurs at the end of the construction period, which brings up the issue of sexual division of labor. Effects of the glass ceiling and the leaky pipeline phenomena were evident, as well as harassment, discrimination and sexism. Originality/value Studies about women in engineering have been become relative common, but studies about female workers on construction sites are still scarce. The women interviewed see themselves as warriors, symbolizing the gain of space within the construction sector and in society. It is hoped that the results can contribute to raising awareness about the benefits of gender mainstreaming at construction sites and to promote the health and well-being of women in these environments.

A teoria traçada neste trabalho gira em torno do axioma enunciativo de Benveniste (2005; 2006; 2014): enunciação é o colocar em funcionamento a língua por um ato individual de utilização. Com base em uma pesquisa qualitativa do tipo estudo de caso, realizada em duas capitais nordestinas, Recife e Salvador, baseada nas orientações de Cardoso (2010) e nos estudos de Benveniste (2005; 2006), identificamos nuances que permeiam a fala de dois espaços próximos, mas, que ao mesmo tempo, com características socioculturais distintas. Nosso objetivo é revelar que a enunciação possui valores semióticos e semânticos, que marcam o sujeito no discurso, destacando o dialeto não apenas como traço linguístico de uma comunidade, mas carregado de sentido para os usuários da língua, que ao mesmo tempo reafirma a sua identidade cultural.