Uplifting Invisible Voices: Using Art and Music as a Form of Empowerment to Women in the Construction Industry

Proponent/s Name/s (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

• Cream Chardonnay Sanchez Chiu, De La Salle UniversityFollow
• Rolando Joselito Villapeña Jonson III, De La Salle UniversityFollow
• Princess Lucila Recio Pelo, De La Salle UniversityFollow

Document Types

Arts and Design Research Presentation

Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)

Food, Nutrition, and Health (FNH)

School Name

De La Salle University Laguna Campus

Track or Strand

Arts and Design Track (ADT)

Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

Lacsamana, Virginia, M.

Start Date

23-6-2026 1:30 PM

End Date

23-6-2026 2:30 PM

Zoom Link/ Room Assignment

DLSU Manila Campus (In-person)-LS315 Pablo Nicolas Seminar Room

Abstract/Executive Summary

At present time, women are now able to work in various male-dominated sectors from which they were previously excluded. However, even in today’s society, their challenges in the workforce go beyond access alone. Despite this, media representations of their struggles and lived experiences remain limited, offering few narratives with which women can relate. This paper centers on the experiences of women in the construction industry, particularly members of the Association of Women Workers in the Construction Industry (AWWCI), and examines the role of art in empowering working marginalized women while avoiding harmful or stereotypical depictions. This study employed a qualitative arts-based methodological approach, utilizing storytelling through the integration of lyricism, musical composition, and digital visual art. Collecting data from semi-structured one-on-one interviews with women within the construction industry in Quezon City, and related literature connected to important female figures. Narrative and discourse analysis are used to interpret the gathered data. The anticipated results of this study would detail the challenges faced by the Association of Women Workers in the Construction Industry (AWWCI), providing insight into issues such as discrimination, bias, and limited opportunity access. The findings would then be analyzed and incorporated into the narrative retelling/storytelling in the final art outputs consisting a 3-track Extended Play (EP), visualizer and cover art. Overall, this study contributes to the discourse on gender, labor, and representation by highlighting the lived experiences of women in the construction industry and illustrating the potential of art as a tool for empowerment, visibility, and social change.

Keywords

Male-dominated, Empowering, Working marginalized women, Gender-based Discrimination, Qualitative art-based research

Art Category Code (for Arts and Design Research Presentation submissions only)

Music (MUS)

Art Sub-category Code

Original Composition

Initial Consent for Publication

yes

Statement of Originality

yes