Over 200 tradeswomen and advocates from across the state gathered at the Illinois State Capitol on Wednesday, March 5, for the second annual Tradeswomen Take Over Springfield advocacy day, pushing for greater opportunities for women in the construction trades.
Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) staff and tradeswomen came to Springfield to meet with legislators about House Resolution (HR) 161. Introduced by Deputy Majority Leader Lisa Hernandez, the resolution reaffirms Illinois’ commitment to expanding workforce opportunities in the trades, particularly for women who still make up less than 5% of the construction workforce.
Participants shared their experiences and lobbied lawmakers on policies to improve recruitment, retention, and support for women in construction careers through enhanced accountability measures, equity initiatives, and continued investment in training programs.
Illinois has invested millions in Illinois Works and the Highway Construction Careers Training programs, which have strong records of graduating women and people of color for careers in the construction industry.
Recent executive orders threatening to roll back hard-won progress for women in the trades made this advocacy day more important than ever. CWIT calls on our state leaders to stand firm on Illinois’ values!
