Today is like any other day for this B.C.M. McAlpine field labour superintendent. Whether it be rain, blow or shine, they leave their home armed with their hardhat, safety boots and no-nonsense demeanour, ready to conquer another day.

But what makes this superintendent different from all the others in the construction industry? She is a woman.

Gail Marshall is like scores of other women who have gone into a workforce generally dominated by men. And she loves it!

Ms Marshall entered the construction industry almost 15 years ago.

?I was a single mother and needed the money, so I started as a labourer and worked my way up the ladder,? she recalls. ?I did everything the guys did from jack hammering to unloading cement blocks and mixers. It?s like that all day. It?s a 24/7 job, but I love it.?

As a field labour superintendent, Ms Marshall spends the majority of her time on construction sites making sure the 100 or so construction workers at B.C.M McAlpine Ltd. have clocked in on time. She is also responsible for hiring and firing staff for the company.

And for those who think she might be ?soft? because she is a woman, think again. Ms Marshall says she does not allow men on the site to intimidate her.

?You have to have the attitude that anything they can do you can do better,? she chuckles.

The devoted mother embraces daily challenges, which includes suspending workers who are not doing their jobs: ?If it?s a good guy, I wait five days and hit him in the pocket first, then he knows that?s his last warning. The next time he?s out of the gate.?

But she considers herself a fair person who is always willing to give someone a break, especially young men in need of work.

?They come to my office crying that they have children at home and need to work,? she says. ?But many of them have no ambition or dedication and some don?t even show up for their first day on the job.?

Ms Marshall describes herself as a determined and strong woman who never lets obstacles prevent her from reaching her goals: ?I always tell my guys, if you put your mind to it, you can do anything.?

She hopes to lead the way for other women who want to enter the industry, but warns that it?s not always easy.

?Once you have the respect of people and respect them in return, it makes everyday a little easier,? she says.

A major issue Ms Marshall hopes to address is equality in salaries; something she says is sorely lacking in Bermuda.

?If you do the same job as a man, you should be earning the same salary,? she maintains. ?I do the same job, if not better!?

Ms Marshall?s advice to young women interested in construction is the same one she shares with her 14-year-old daughter: ?Don?t tell people what you can do, show them.?