Questions women in property are afraid to ask

Are quotas needed to get more women into senior roles in property? “I didn’t go for a job because they thought the fact I was female and Scottish meant I ticked a box,” said Sam Harden, head of strategy at CLS Risk Solutions. Speaking at EG’s ‘Afraid to Ask’ REWIRE breakfast at MIPIM UK, she said quotas were off-putting. Jackie Newstead, partner at Hogan Lovells International, agreed that spreading the idea that someone has got a role because of their gender or ethnicity could be problematic. Removing the stigma of flexible working as a female issue is another aspect of workplace culture that needs to be tackled, said Andrea Carpenter, director of Women Talk Real Estate. She said she spent time working in the Netherlands where it was common for both men and women to work four-day works to help with childcare. “We want equality,” she said. Carpenter also wants to see more senior directors put forward for speaking events, not just chief executives. “Visibility matters and this is the core of what we’re trying to do.” Lendlease has launched a women’s development programme this year to help 30 employees build confidence. Lucy Homer, executive general manager and head of design and technical at Lendlease, said the company has created an internal women’s support network which discusses issues including the challenges of the construction site culture. “There’s a bigger culture change that still needs to happen on our sites,” she said. “If you haven’t got women on site, you have to behave in a different way.” Click here to find about more about MIPIM UK and UK Cities To send feedback, e-mail Louisa.Clarence-Smith@egi.co.uk or tweet @LouisaClarence or @estatesgazette