A new field study has revealed the severe gendered impact of automation in Gujarat’s construction sector. The study showed that nearly 80 per cent of women workers have lost their jobs as machines and mechanised systems rapidly replace manual labour.
The research, titled “Building Futures: Women Workers at the Margins of Construction Automation,” was conducted by Aajeevika Bureau and Work Free and Fair between December 2023 and February 2025.
Drawing on field data from Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the study found that automation in areas such as concrete mixing, precasting, and material handling has drastically reduced opportunities for women. Tasks that once relied on physical effort are now dominated by machines, leading contractors to favour male migrant workers from northern and northeastern states.
This shift has marginalised local and Bhil Adivasi women, who were once integral to the state’s construction workforce. The study also highlights persistent wage disparities — women helpers earned 10–20 per cent less than male counterparts and up to 50 per cent less than male skilled workers. In some cases, their wages were even routed through male family members, effectively denying them financial autonomy and recognition.
Researchers warn that the unchecked pace of automation could deepen gender inequality in the sector. They call for urgent reskilling programmes, inclusive hiring practices, and social protections to prevent women from being permanently excluded from the evolving world of construction work.
The study concludes that while automation enhances efficiency, it must be accompanied by gender-sensitive policies to ensure that technological progress leads to equitable and inclusive growth, not exclusion.
