Many face challenges from their male counterparts, but a stringent good old boy's club this industry is not.

"Most of these girls end up making quite a bit of money, more than they would if they worked in a traditional job," said Niessa Bauder-Guaracha, president of the local chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction.

Bauder-Guaracha helped her husband to build, from the ground up, Hollister's A&N Plumbing.

"It's a real man-run industry, so they have to make a choice to be here because they're either going to get cat calls on the job site all the time or they're going to get people thinking they're not smart enough because they're a girl.

Men tend to get into the business because they want money now, and women tend to think through the process."

Perhaps too many women are thinking it over without acting.

The number of women in the field has dropped to 975,000, down by more than 40,000 from 2000 levels, according to the bureau of labor statistics.

The gender gap can be uncomfortable at times - Carol Verbeeck recalled that she was one of just two women in the room on the day she took the exam to get her general contractor's license - but that same lack of comfort later produces a level of confidence and accomplishment that must be given equal weight.

"I remember some vendors that really gave me the 'little lady' treatment when I first started ordering rock or equipment," said Verbeeck, who operates Building the Equestrian Dream, a grading and excavating company specializing in equestrian and rural properties, with her husband, Bruce Horter.

"They backed off once they realized I did know what I needed, and how much, and when. It teaches you to be more decisive, to trust and develop better leadership skills."

Jan Jensen, construction manager for Gilroy Unified School District, has experienced similar challenges and successes, all of which have helped to sharpen her field instincts.

"Most of the reaction of the construction crews have been positive once we establish a good working relationship," said Jensen, who stressed that, in order to maintain respect, female managers must be willing to put a stop to employees' attempts to circumvent their authority.

"I get 'tests' thrown my way from time to time. One crew had a question for me on top of the roof and another in an underground vault. It appeared that it was more of 'will she come' problem.

"After climbing a 60 foot ladder and going into the vault, the respect was seen on their faces."

Jensen isn't all tough as nails. She's been known to bring home-baked brownies and cookies in as thank yous for her workers on jobs well done, somewhat of a no-no in a "manly" setting.

Far from being overly masculine, women in the construction industry must learn to use their feminine characteristics to their benefit.

"I think a homeowner is a little more comfortable with a woman," said Rosemary Bridwell, a landscape designer in Hollister. "They may be more creative, where a guy may be thinking, 'well, this may be easier to build.'"

Interior designer Barbara Ziebron, also of Hollister, felt that homeowners might perceive females in intimate situations as less of a threat.

"When I go into people's homes, they're opening closets for me, drawers," said Ziebron. "Those areas are all very private, and I think people are more comfortable opening them when I'm around. There are a lot of jokes about things being designed by a man, and part of that is that you have to design for the end user, and the end user is generally a woman."

Using herself as a barometer, Ziebron feels she brings a special understanding of women's design issues. In the long run, the profession's freedom outweighs her concerns and those of others.

"Other jobs are kind of organized in they tell you what to do," said Janet Estacio, a project manager for Granite Rock Company in San Jose who said she has never felt discriminated against in her job, even when, straight out of college, she went to work.

"At the beginning, they would listen to me, but it wouldn't make much impact. It was a training to understand how (the real application of the job) worked.

They give you a project, you have to be able to make your own rules or make your own organization and say, 'this is how I'm going to do it.'"

Conquering the tap dance of interpersonal relations is a great joy for these women, but seeing the finished product, is their ultimate satisfaction.

It's a little piece of them that will stay behind to be appreciated and admired, and perhaps lead another little girl to pick up her science books or not give up on math just yet.

For more information on the National Association of Women in Construction, visit www.nawic.org.

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