Who we are
The Women in Construction Institute was created in 2006 in Canoas, from an initiative led by Bia Kern (photo on the side) to expand women's access to job opportunities in the construction industry. From the beginning, our purpose has been clear: to offer free workshops, strengthen economic autonomy, and promote the productive inclusion of women in vulnerable situations. The first workshop, organized in partnership with volunteer teachers and companies in the sector, proved the demand. More than 300 women signed up for 25 places. Based on this experience, the Institute structured its methodology and began to operate continuously. In 2008, Bia formalized the organization and began its expansion. To enable this growth, she relied on family support and took personal risks, consolidating the Institute as an independent initiative committed to long-term social impact.
I wanted to help women feel independent, have autonomy, and make money. And even more, that the way to achieve
This would be in something that many people think might not be a woman's place. After all these years, we have proven that construction is more than just a woman's place; it's a place for all of us. It's a place to be, to grow, and to never cease to exist.
Mission
To empower women for work in the construction industry, aiming to restore their values, rights, and economic independence.
A world where women can make their own choices.
Values
Integrity, respect for women’s conditions, ethical commitment, transparency in actions, teamwork, appreciation of the institution’s history, and a genuine care for people.
Vision
Timeline
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Who is Bia Kern
Maria Beatriz Kern, or simply Bia Kern, is from São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, and has carried a mark since a very young age that runs throughout her life: the conviction that women need to know how to do, decide, and support their own lives. Raised in a large family, Bia was only 11 years old when her parents separated. From then on, her mother, Dona Diva, raised seven children alone. There was no time, money, or space to wait for external solutions. Home repairs, small construction projects, and everyday fixes were done by themselves. "We'll take care of it ourselves," Dona Diva would say. And that phrase became a method, an ethic, and a legacy.
It was in this environment that Bia learned, in practice, the value of autonomy. Bia grew up with a drive to do things. She worked in fashion and events, went through public service, graduated in Public Management, and even started studying Civil Engineering.
But there was something that wouldn't settle. A question accompanied her through all phases: why not? Why do they say that women can't, shouldn't, or can't manage? The answer always came from the same place: from concrete experience, from maternal example, and from the certainty that empowerment without knowledge is just talk. Mother of twins Betina and Bruna, now women and businesswomen, Bia experienced firsthand the challenges of single motherhood, the female overload, and the vulnerability that affects so many women after separations. There, her social mission took on a definitive shape. In 2006, she took a project under her arm and went to knock on the door of a construction materials store. The proposal was simple and, for many, absurd: to offer 25 places for women to learn construction techniques. More than 300 women signed up. At that moment, Bia was certain she wasn't alone. There was a repressed, urgent, and invisible demand. The Instituto Mulher em Construção (Women in Construction Institute) was born there.
2012
Claudia Award
2013
Fellowship Womanity Foundation
2014
Márcia Santana Award
2019
CAU/RS Award
2021
Artemisia Lab Habitação RS
2024
Women's Empowerment Award Brazil Foundation
2024
Schneider Electric and Ashoka
2024
Human Rights Justice Forum RS
2025
Marketing Strategy Women's Legacy Award from (FBM)
Our team
Bia Kern
Governança e Institucional – Fundadora
Lucia Xavier
Vice-presidente
Camila Alhadeff
Executiva e Operações
Luciane Akanni
Governança – Gente e Gestão
Betina Kern
Projetos
Marilia Freitas
Projetos
Karla Bernardo
Projetos
Najara Szabo
Projetos
Marise Licks
Educação
Fabiane Fialho
Educação
Fátima Wilhelm
Educação
Sandra Bernardo
Educação
Andrea Roos
Recrutamento e Seleção
Maiara Medeiros
Recrutamento e Seleção
Camila Kern
Captação de recursos
Raquel Ernesto
Comunicação e Captação de recursos
Laís Silveira
Administrativo Financeiro
Janaina Porto
Administrativo Financeiro
Roberta S. Vieira
Assistência Social
Erica Franco
Assistência Social
Marcela Magalhães
Monitoramento
Aline Rocha
Assessoria de imprensa e gestão de redes sociais
Advisory Council
Mariana Gutheil
Tiana Vilar Lins
Camila Leal Calais
Christiana Orofino Souto Silveira
Margaret Mussoi Lucchetta Groff
Iracema Lourdes Peloso Gabardo
Lucia Xavier -
Presidente do conselho
Luiza Helena Trajano Inácio Rodrigues
silvana andrade
Taking part in the workshops at the Women in Construction Institute and entering the construction industry was a major milestone in my life, especially seeing myself in a male-dominated environment. I learned a lot as a woman and as a professional.
Machismo? I face it.
Claudia Patrícia
Maria José de Almeida pereira
I’m 72 years old. I don’t have anyone to help me with electrical work at home. I decided to take the workshop. I grabbed this opportunity with everything I had.