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Cambodia’s female construction workers

Cambodia’s construction industry is booming, and high-rises are being built across the capital of Phnom Penh. With the city’s population doubling over the past four years, it has begun its transformation into a sprawling metropolis.

The industry employs a large number of migrant workers who flock to the capital in search of work.

Around a third of these workers are women, and photographer Charles Fox’s latest project documents them on the building sites.

Some of the women are just starting out, others hone skills learnt in the provinces, while others are from the masses of workers who returned from Thailand in 2014 after a crackdown on illegal migrant workers.

Many of these women have come to the capital with their family and friends, relocating to live and work on the building sites.

The sites can often be dangerous and female workers can receive lower wages than their male counterparts.

Despite this, the women of Cambodia’s construction industry are hard-working and driven, remaining resilient to the risks they face.

All photographs by Charles Fox.

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The construction field, one traditionally dominated by men, boasts much higher wages than traditionally “female” careers. Encouraging women to pursue careers here could go a long way toward reducing the wage gap that currently exists in the U.S. Read more in this column.

Do you think more women should seek so-called non-traditional jobs?

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Holy fuck guys the inspector who came to look at the underground tank we were pulling out is a woman, and she came while my coworker and I were shovelling out the last bits of sand out of the tank.

I swear, when she saw me when I stepped out of the hole, she lit up like a Christmas tree. That alone gave me such a boost like..

A little later she came up to me and she was like, man, my first tank of the year and its already amazing. She thought we were just 2 guys in the hole. We talked for a little bit, and then she said:

“Every time you go to a new site, you’re making a difference. You’re changing those guy’s minds. They’ll start to think, yeah, if she can do it, maybe this other woman can. You’re paving the way for the girls behind us.”

I stg I almost started crying on the spot. I’ve been having such a hard time being the only girl out in the field for so long, and like, she just reminded me why I’m here, and that even when shit’s bad, I’m still doing something worthwhile and important.

That’s solidarity right there.

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i learnt about fall protection for my new role of site supervisor. ladies, i am the only woman onsite. so are a lot of women. remember that all fall protection is designed for men. so get fitted properly with a harness. don’t take a fall harness fit for granted. you need to request a custom fit. your chest strap needs to be above your breasts. you need to account for your hips. this will make all the difference while wearing fall arrest equipment. 

think of your safety, ladies

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From appearances in ‘Grease’ to ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ this LA bridge has become an icon of Hollywood — now these women construction workers are helping to rebuild it. (In partnership with Time’s Up)

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