Jayci

Construction is one of the most male dominated industries in the United States. There are only 3.4% tradeswomen in the construction industry of the city of New York. Women Being the only woman on the job mostly, comes with many challenges of its own.

Women face sexual harassment. Instances of having no restroom to use at work are common. They are never a part of the crowd, women always stand out. Women make up just 10 percent of the workforce in construction nationwide in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Jeune Christine “Jayci” Ross’ (photographed above) has a collection of 30-something hard hats is more than an occupational hazard from her 18 years as a laborer. It’s also an enduring influence from her previous line of work: fashion. Ross, 50, entered construction because her job as an assistant manager at a fashion retailer wasn’t paying enough.

The first time she tried to break into the construction industry, at a job site in Queens, New York, workers laughed at her.“They thought it was a joke because I came up there, I was all dressed up,” she said. “They were like: ‘Oh, you’re not interested in becoming a construction worker. Look at you.’” They told Ross that if she was serious about getting the job, she should show up every day as if she was going to work. So she did.

Every day for two months, Ross stood outside the job site learning the ropes by watching the workers. She had swapped her fashion work attire for a hoodie and jeans and ditched her high heels for Timberland boots.

After Ross got the job, though, she faced a steep learning curve going from a stereotypically female industry to a male-dominated one. She had to put her foot down to fend off romantic advances from her co-workers, for example. “When they see a fresh new face, its like fresh meat,” she said.

Being in the construction industry came with getting inappropriate and unnecessary attention from most men at her workplace. She had to make sure she made it clear to her coworkers she wasnt there to involve herself in any unwanted relationships and was their to work and stay professional.

Ross began wearing looser clothes to “downplay” her appearance and divert attention away from her body. But one thing Ross refused to shake was her eye for fashion. “I still match my hard hats with my bandanas or my decorative scarves, my hoodies, my turtlenecks,” she said.

“That part just wasn’t going to change.” Jaicee embraced her indentity she found in fashion. She didn't let the world decide who she was going to be and continued her job in contruction by being herself.

Women like Jayci who are able to be themselves, in all possible conditions, and are able to unapologetically be who they are are not just inspiring women but inspiring human beings.

Going against all odds, staying professional and being good at your job is what is most important. A construction worker is a construction worker before a man or a woman. Women like Jayci who have been trailblazers in changing the stereotypical way of how we see women at work deserve to be celebrated.

Women in the history have mostly been celebrated to take care of households, its time we start crediting and acknowledging that women don’t just take care of households but can build them with their hands.

Jayci’s story inspires the world to be themselves, believe in women who build, motivates people to do whatever they want, never limit themselves into boxes and always add some extra color with a matching bandana to your construction uniform.