A Year as Women in Property’s North West Chairman

I was fortunate enough to take up the position of Chairman of Women in Property’s North West branch during a landmark year in the history of equality. 2018 marked 100 years since women won the right to vote, a movement that was born in Manchester, the city I love and call home.

While becoming Chairman against this backdrop was a cause for celebration, it also presented a challenge – I was determined to do the centenary year justice, to use my tenure to strengthen the work of the women who had gone before me, and to develop new initiatives that would bring us closer to creating a more balanced and inclusive industry.

The first major event of the year was the Women in Property North West Annual Dinner. The sell-out event was our largest celebration yet, with 240 men and women attending from across the industry.

Fittingly, the venue for the dinner was Manchester’s Radisson Blu Edwardian which, in its former life as Manchester’s Free Trade Hall, held the first public meeting to address the case for women’s suffrage in 1898.

Lit in green, white and purple, the campaign colours of the Suffragette movement, and decked with campaign banners from the film ‘Suffragette’, few venues could have provided a more suitable setting in which to announce our chosen charity, The Pankhurst Trust - which provides support for women at risk of or suffering from domestic abuse. Each guest was also gifted with replicas of Silvia Pankhurst’s Holloway Prison brooches, which were worn by Suffragette political prisoners during their incarceration.

The annual dinner also provided a poignant point to announce my theme for the year, ‘Diversity without Adversity.’ If we want to create a truly inclusive industry, that means embracing diversity in the broadest sense of the word and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, education or family background, is empowered, represented and valued as part of the workforce.

To translate this theme into actions, I sought to create diversity in the events held across the year. From walking tours to site visits, professional CPDs and networking opportunities, I wanted to offer a range of events that would be accessible to a wider audience, including men, working parents, and women at the early and late stages of their careers. I am proud to say that over the course of the year, membership rose by 30% and we are now aiming for a target of 100 regional members by the end of 2019.

An equally proud highlight of my year was being able to strengthen the relationship between Buttress and Women in Property and to use my position as Chairman to champion the adoption of new initiatives both within the practice, and architecture more generally.

During the year, a number of members of staff joined Women in Property and as a practice we were pleased to sponsor the branch’s annual summer BBQ.

I have gained so much during my time as Chairman and I am grateful for the support and friendship from my fellow committee members and members of the North West branch. Together, we share successes and concerns, and support each other to pursue new opportunities.

It is inspiring to see a growing number of women in leading roles within their organisation, and I am encouraged to see the next generation getting involved at both membership and regional committee levels. They bring a fresh perspective with them and great ideas. It’s been a privilege to share my experiences with these women as they navigate their own careers.

As I hand the baton on to the next Chairman, proud of what I have achieved, there is still much work to be done. Although progress is being made to correct the gender imbalance in the property and construction industry, challenges relating to diversity and inclusivity in the workforce still need to be overcome. That’s why I will remain a committed and active member of the North West committee and look forward to working alongside the new Chairman, Emma Richman of Great Places and my fellow committee members to champion equality and bring about change.