Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/1496538
BY JENNIFER TENNYSON 2023 PWB CHAIR TENNYSON HOMES Upcoming Events Shaken, Not Stirred April 4, May 2, June 6 | 4–6 p.m. Bonefish Grill, Bothell Networking Happy Hour PWB Lunch April 11 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. MBAKS Bellevue Visit mbaks.com/events for up-to-date information on the location and status of events. O ne knows we've come a long way when the Washington Post reports record numbers of women working in the building industry via their Department of Data's November 11, 2022 article. Featuring the question "Why are way more women suddenly working in construction?," answers range from record low unemployment to family connections. The Washington Post's Department of Data reveals something Professional Women in Building (PWB) already knows: women are working in the building industry, and our numbers are increasing rapidly. Women as a share of construction workers is an overall 14% (averaged across all US states), with a national surge in numbers of Hispanic women and women of color. Washington State ranks fourth in the US with a percentage of 14.6%. For PWB members, and women as a whole, this is not surprising. Women are a valuable resource, whether as Rosie the Riveter, building our communities, or growing our purchasing power. Developed in 1968 by Phillip Morris as a way to increase sales by targeting women, Virginia Slims was considered a groundbreaking (now somewhat exploitative) cigarette brand capitalizing on women's increasing awareness of our value in the working world and the world as a whole. The new brand's tagline summed up Virginia Slims' market approach with a highly recognizable "You've come a long way, baby." The groundbreaking tagline was considered a You've Come a Long Way Build community with PWB at mbaks.com/pwb Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/11/11/hispanic-women-construction-trades/ https://tobacco.stanford.edu/cigarettes/womens-cigarettes/youve-come-along-way-baby/ nod to the civil rights movement, and the new cigarette's ad campaigns regularly featured women of color—a revolutionary concept for the time. As women's roles evolved, so did Virginia Slims' approach. The brand readjusted to "It's a woman thing" in the 1990s, tacking over to "Find your voice" in the 2000s, echoing a vision of women's empowerment combined with soft feminism in an ever-changing environment. Smoking is no longer in vogue—women shaping and building our world remains. "You've come a long way, baby" is no longer acceptable—women stepping into the breach to address our world's needs will never end. Our industry copes with a serious labor shortage—women are 51.1% of the US population. Want to find your voice and celebrate how far we have progressed in the building industry? Join PWB in 2023, as we focus on our theme of Building Community, highlighting how women in our industry create our world. Women are a valuable resource, whether as Rosie the Riveter, building our communities, or growing our purchasing power. 58 master BUILDER | SPRING 2023 WORDS FROM THE CHAIR