AIRAH is the leading specialist membership association for professionals in the building services and heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. We represent more than 10,000 professionals, including engineers, contractors and service providers, working within the construction industry in new builds as well as retrofits.

Formed in 1920, AIRAH members have been at the heart of Australia’s built environment for over 100 years, and we have been advocating for more women to join the industry since the 1960s.

Recognising the ongoing challenge of attracting and retaining women in construction and STEM careers, in 2017 we launched the Women of AIRAH initiative (WoA). Modelled on the successful Women of ASHRAE program (ASHRAE is our US-based sister association), WoA addresses a known primary barrier for attracting and retaining women in HVAC&R – the feeling of isolation – by creating a supportive member-led community.

Since WoA’s formation, our proportion of female members has grown from 3.5 per cent (2017) to 7.6 per cent (2023), and our Board is 50 per cent female. We are proud of this, but we believe we can do more. As such, we continue to raise awareness of the need for gender diversity in the industry, and strive for gender diversity across our membership and in the member services we offer.

ASBEC plays a vital role in the promotion of built environment sustainability, bringing disparate organisations together under one umbrella for a common purpose. AIRAH is a member of ASBEC and we support this application as we believe that ASBEC, with its broad construction industry representation, will be able to accelerate efforts to improve retention and increase leadership participation for women in all parts of the sector.