Although construction can be a path to economic security and independence for women and the families they support, the rate of sexual harassment charges brought per 100,000 workers is among the highest of any business sector.

The typical victim of harassment in any industry is a woman between the ages of 25 and 45, and the typical harasser is a male in a higher position at the organization or in a supervisory role on a jobsite or in an office. Besides the emotional scars it inflicts, sexual harassment depresses the victim’s productivity and triggers more days taken for sick leave. Victims are more likely to quit, as well.

Engineering degrees provide a vital career path into construction, and percentages for women enrolling in and graduating from degree programs are getting higher. But a 2012 National Science Foundation-funded survey  reported that only six out of 10 women who graduate with engineering degrees stay in the profession. More recent studies have shown that the exiting women engineers departed because of an “organization climate,” which includes non-supportive supervisors and co-workers and “general incivility.” Others cited frequent travel, few opportunities to advance and low pay.

Construction no longer is exclusively a man’s club. Yet, working conditions can still spur a discouraging trepidation. Not surprisingly, in the education and health sector, where women account for three out of four people employed, the rate of harassment complaints is among the lowest.

This suggests an obvious solution: More women in the office and in the field will create a network of support that will lead to less sexual harassment in the construction industry, which, in turn, will draw more women to construction, engineering and the crafts, where they are badly needed. It is as simple as making good-faith efforts to hire talented women, building policies to retain them and never giving harassment a pass.