DELAWARE - In 2020, Mercedes Ortíz realized her dream by starting a construction company with her husband, marking a significant step for women in an industry where they remain underrepresented.
Ortíz handles the administrative side of their business and occasionally assists on-site.
"Honestly, I feel very happy to be able to achieve my dreams, and well, it is an example that I want to give my children that everything they propose, they can achieve," Ortíz said.
Even though people doubted her ability in construction, Ortíz's story reveals a common bias in the field.
Women make up only 9.3 percent of Delaware's construction industry, including administrative and sales roles, and just 3 percent are in construction and extraction occupations, according to a report.
The Delaware Office of Women's Advancement and Advocacy is working with the Department of Labor to highlight apprenticeship programs for women in construction and other fields.
Melanie Ross Levin, director of the Delaware Office of Women's Advancement and Advocacy, highlighted how women like Ortíz are an unrecognized resource in Delaware's workforce.
"I hope that this report helps draw attention to the need, and I hope that more women consider this as a career, and I hope more employers look at women as potential employees," she said.
Ortíz, currently the first and only woman in her company, is optimistic about the future.
"There is no difference between a man and a woman. We are all capable of doing it. So, if you can, I can. Why can't I? Because I'm a woman? That doesn't stop me at all," Ortíz said.
For more details on this report, click here.