What’s it like being a woman working in the built environment?

Posted on: 8 March, 2022

It has long been recognised that female representation in the built environment is less than it should or could be. For example, despite women making up just over half of the UK population, only 14% of workers in the construction industry are female. Framed against this statistic, however, is one stating that 37% of new entrants into the industry that come from higher education are women suggesting that more women are choosing a career in the built environment.

To mark International Women’s Day, we asked women at various stages of their career both in the UK and abroad, to answer a few questions on their experiences of working in the sector, both good and bad, and what solutions they would offer to encourage more women to consider a career in the built environment…

The apprentice

Nikita Badesha is an assistant project manager for Rider Levett Bucknall and studies on our Chartered Surveyor apprenticeship, on the MSc Construction Management pathway.

How welcoming have you found working in the built environment as a woman?

When I first started working, being one of only a few women on projects and at events was something I was nervous about. Imposter syndrome is hard to overcome sometimes but I try to remember that I prove my worth every day and I deserve to be in the room just as much as everyone else. And if anything, the guys I work with appreciate a competent woman who knows how to do her job.

Have you experienced any gender discrimination in the built environment?

I’m lucky to be able to say that I haven’t experienced any direct discrimination, but I have experienced the women’s toilet on a site doubling as a cleaning cupboard.

In your experience, have you found the built environment to become more or less welcoming to women, or the same?

Construction has a historic reputation of being an industry filled with men. I haven’t experienced anyone going out of their way to make me feel unwelcome, but I think the industry itself is inherently unwelcoming due to the lack of female representation, especially at director level.

What do you enjoy about working in the sector?

For me, the fact that every day is different and there’s always a new challenge to overcome is really exciting. A working day is never boring!

Would you encourage more women to work in the built environment?

I absolutely would. There is still a huge gender diversity gap meaning you are memorable as a woman in a male-dominated industry, and you can definitely use this to your advantage.

What can be done to make more women want to work in the built environment?

Having spoken to women working in the built environment and girls at schools and colleges, the idea of working on a construction site is what puts a lot of them off, but there is a whole other consulting side to the industry that people aren’t aware of and that may be more inviting to them.

There definitely needs to be more awareness of the different opportunities available within the built environment to encourage more people to join overall, not just women, especially given how impactful the built environment is economically, socially and environmentally.

The international student

Chantal Havelock is a senior airport infrastructure officer at Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority and studies on our MSc Construction Management programme, serving as the programme’s international student representative.

How welcoming have you found working in the built environment as a woman?

I must admit it was a challenge at first. When you visit a site as a woman, you tend to get judged by men. Some men tend to look at you as if you don’t belong. You can feel them questioning your purpose on site (after all, it is a man’s world!). You have to constantly show them that you belong and you know what you are doing, and that they need to respect you just as you respect them.

Have you experienced any gender discrimination in the built environment?

I have been in the built environment in my country for 16 years and, so far, I have not experienced any direct discrimination because of my gender. I have been able to progress in my career alongside my male counterparts with no difficulty.

In your experience, have you found the built environment to become more or less welcoming to women, or the same?

Compared to the first time I joined the built environment, I would say yes, the built environment has indeed become more welcoming to women. I can now go on site and feel like I belong. I see many more women taking an active role in the industry, however, I feel there is still room for improvement.

What do you enjoy about working in the sector?

Seeing a project I have worked on come to life and seeing the smile on the client’s face when the project has succeeded.

The excitement you feel when you see your name on a major project board along many other reputable companies and finally being able to make a difference in the construction industry.

Would you encourage more women to work in the built environment?

Yes, I would. I find the built environment a very interesting sector; it keeps evolving and you never stop learning.

What can be done to make more women want to work in the built environment?

If I take my country as an example, I think children in general should be introduced to the built environment as part of the curriculum in their education.

Girls should be made to understand that the built environment is not just masons, carpenters, architects or engineers but that it takes a team with different expertise, skills and trades coming together to bring a dream (of a client) into a drawing and the drawing from paper to reality.

They should be made to understand that the built environment belongs to women as much as it belongs to the men and it is only by working together that we can make the industry better.

The alumna

Karen Skelhorn is an estates management officer at the Ports of Jersey Ltd and studied on our BSc (Hons) Real Estate Management programme.

How welcoming have you found working in the built environment as a woman?

As a woman, I believe I have been given a very warm welcome into the built environment and feel that I been able to become a valued member of our team.

Have you experienced any gender discrimination in the built environment?

Thankfully, I have not experienced any discrimination.

In your experience, have you found the built environment to become more or less welcoming to women, or the same?

I feel that times are definitely changing and that women are being more and more accepted into this sector.

What do you enjoy about working in the sector?

I really enjoy the diversity that my role offers and the opportunities it provides me to become involved in sharing my skills, knowledge and experiences.

Would you encourage more women to work in the built environment?

Without a doubt I would encourage more woman to become involved and qualified in the built environment. My organisation regularly hosts secondary school students on work experience and I enjoying sharing my experiences and knowledge with them on my journey into the sector.

What can be done to make more women want to work in the built environment?

I believe that the industry needs to be promoted more in secondary schools and to give young women the opportunity to explore and better understand what the built environment is from an younger age.

The international alumna

Shelley DeRaveneau is a quantity surveyor at TVA Project and Cost Management in Grenada and studied on our BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying programme.

How welcoming have you found working in the built environment as a woman?

It has been very welcoming. Unlike years gone by, I believe that our presence and contribution to the built environment has proven itself, therefore people are now eager to include us within the industry.

Have you experienced any gender discrimination in the built environment?

In my 22 years of service, I have not experienced any direct gender discrimination working in the built environment.

In your experience, have you found the built environment to become more or less welcoming to women, or the same?

Our contribution to the built environment has become so invaluable that companies welcome the inclusion of women within their companies and project teams. As a woman working in the built environment, I have gained much respect for my work ethic and keen attention to detail, which I might add is something that most women bring to the industry.

What do you enjoy about working in the sector?

I enjoy being part of projects from inception to completion and meeting clients’ expectations. That brings me great joy!

Would you encourage more women to work in the built environment?

Yes, most definitely.

What can be done to make more women wish to work in the built environment?

Simply by: 1) raising more awareness to let other women know the value we bring to the industry as a whole; 2) ensuring that equal opportunities are given when hiring; 3) supporting career advancement without gender bias; and 4) tackling pay imbalance between genders within the built environment.

The academic

Dr Katharine van Someren is a building performance engineer at Arup and an associate tutor at UCEM.

How welcoming have you found working in the built environment as a woman?

I have found it welcoming and I absolutely encourage women to join the profession. I believe it all starts with a passion for STEM subjects and seeing how buildings and engineering are adapted to tackle climate change.  As I write this, local roofers are working on my listed home – one of the two site workers on the roof is female.

Have you experienced any gender discrimination in the built environment?

Yes. Systematic gender discrimination is designed into almost everything I have encountered with invisible male bias at all levels.

When telling the COO of a prior employer I was pregnant, her response was one where I was told how inconvenient it was to the project and ill-timed. They went on to appoint a male consultant at a rate four times mine for my maternity leave and did not offer me the training others in the team received while I was on maternity leave.

I should have been more fearless about challenging their sexism and discrimination, but leaving a toxic work environment to find one which lives and breathes inclusivity was empowering. I learnt a lot.

In your experience, have you found the built environment to become more or less welcoming to women, or the same?

Yes, it is welcoming and I certainly found that when I joined 15 years ago; however, sticking it out by being resilient is where all the hard work comes in.  Endurance and time have been helpful. It is certainly more of a challenge to women after 35 who have children. The discrimination of part-time mothers not being promoted and entitled to the same opportunities as men was part of my prior work experiences.

What do you enjoy about working in the sector?

I enjoy reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption.  The reason why I changed career while working as a surveyor to gain an engineering doctorate in reducing carbon emissions is because I enjoy working on projects that demonstrate this using empirical evidence and through occupants’ perceptions and voices.

A building that has proactive operational teams can reduce carbon emissions, cut energy and creates a sense of place, security and resilience for people to use and enjoy. It is very rewarding and always a diverse set of problems to solve. I feel people and buildings are part of the culture and values of an organisation or company. If it’s designed for accessibility and inclusivity, then the occupants will thrive.

Would you encourage more women to work in the built environment?

Yes, I would and do!  Employing a new recruit from an ethnic minority group to work in my last role and see her promoted because of her hard work and project management skills was simply the best feeling. It was fantastic to see her flourish as her manager.  I would also ask them to be honest about when they receive discrimination – misogyny needs its name being used and called it out for what it is.

What can be done to make more women want to work in the built environment?

Show them the diversity of careers. It’s not all work on site (although I love a site visit!) and inclusive employers can be flexible. Asking for what you want is empowering and knowing that you own your career means you can always adapt and grow to learn something new.

The entrepreneur

Lucy Gaitskell is the director of Rolcor Property and studied on our MBA Construction and Real Estate programme.

How welcoming have you found working in the built environment as a woman?

When I think back to the first team I managed in a property role, they were very welcoming. I think they were a little sceptical at first but, once they knew I wanted to empower them and utilise their knowledge and experience, they were just brilliant. For someone who started with no knowledge, I think my experience has been a positive one.

Have you experienced any gender discrimination in the built environment?

Sometimes when I work with different contractors, I can feel their doubt in my ability to make decisions or understand but, although I don’t have the practical trade experience, I know the right questions to ask and what a bad job looks like. I’m not scared to hold people to account for that and, once we have a mutual understanding, those relationships seem to flourish.

In your experience, have you found the built environment to become more or less welcoming to women, or the same?

I think it is now more welcoming for women. There are lots of organisations and individuals promoting the benefits of women being in the sector. Personally, since moving into this sector, I have had a wide range of opportunities and experiences that have broadened and developed my skills. There is more work to be done though!

What do you enjoy about working in the sector?

It’s got to be the people really. I’ve met so many amazing men and women who have shared their knowledge and experience with me. In my first team, I’d often go out with them and see what it was like for them on the ground. I’d climb ladders and give plastering a try. I’d talk to them about the barriers that were preventing them from doing the best job possible.  That way, you appreciate how, as a manager, you can make things easier for them.

Now, as a director of my own property business (Rolcor Property), I can call contractors who I’ve spent time getting to know who will go and replace an oven in 48 hours for me so our guests have the best experience possible (even though that property is 6 hours away from where I live). I really enjoy having those mutually beneficial relationships. I also quite enjoy surprising people when they underestimate me!

Would you encourage more women to work in the built environment?

Definitely. We need a real mix of people from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Ultimately, this ensures we provide the best service to our customers whatever sector you are in, in my opinion.

What can be done to make more women want to work in the built environment?

We need to provide flexible opportunities for women who are also mothers and currently struggle to do this. I believe you can be a parent and have a career. You don’t have to choose but so many women seem to have to!

The industry advocate

Priya Raithatha is a manager for estate and letting agents, Priya Properties, and co-founder of Brown Girls Empowering – an Instagram page devoted to sharing tips for entering the world of work, with a focus on the built environment.

How welcoming have you found working in the built environment as a woman?

I would say it has been more welcoming than I initially thought. I have a science background which, in itself, can also be very male-dominated so I would say I’m more familiar with this type of environment. The sector has really developed in recent years and is changing.

Have you experienced any gender discrimination in the built environment?

I am fortunate to have been exposed to this sector from a young age by my father who is an advocate for gender equality. I haven’t experience gender discrimination on a day-to-day basis, however, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I have experienced gender discrimination when having to liaise with third party contractors who discriminate based on my gender. I believe this is purely due to a lack of education and the fact that the built environment is still seen as a male-dominated sector.

In your experience, have you found the built environment to become more or less welcoming to women, or the same?

Over recent times, the built environment has become more welcoming to women as there has been great importance for gender equality. I believe more women now see the built environment as a career choice as there is more encouragement and awareness from a younger age.

What do you enjoy about working in the sector?

Every day is different and this sector is so broad and diverse with endless opportunities. The sense of achievement through teamwork and solving complex issues is incomparable. Generally, you get to meet such an amazing and diverse range of people who you probably would not otherwise and you can learn something from everyone you cross paths with.

Would you encourage more women to work in the built environment?

Working in the built environment allows women to receive a feeling of achievement and develop a passion for building – this passion should not be limited to just men. The skills required in this sector are all transferable and most probably don’t even realise they have these skills such as time management, organisation, leadership, problem-solving and more. With this in mind, I definitely would encourage more women to join this sector and help change the stigma around the industry and women.

What can be done to make more women want to work in the built environment?

The key is sharing knowledge about the industry from an earlier stage, such as secondary school. Once girls become familiar with the industry and the routes available, the built environment will become a more ‘normal’ career choice. It is also very important to include both genders at an early stage, so that the sector is made to feel inclusive and aid in eradicating gender inequality.