COMMENT Earlier this month, I launched the third instalment of the G15 Women Mentorship Programme, aimed at addressing the gender imbalance in our sector.
The programme is based on the idea that those of us who have climbed up the ladder have a responsibility to also lift and help the next generation. And I was very emboldened by the warm reception for the programme and how quickly some of the amazing women in our field jumped at the opportunity to build the leaders of tomorrow.
We started out small in 2019, with only 22 requests for mentors, and now at our launch event we had more than 100 people in the room, both mentors and mentees, adding to this wonderful support network that we have created.
Work to be done
I genuinely wish we wouldn’t need this programme – that it becomes redundant in a few years. But the disappointing reality is that we have a long, long way to go still – from construction sites to executive level in the boardroom. This is not to mention the wider spectrum of diversity that we need to embrace.
The numbers in the room at the launch were both encouraging and a testament to why programmes like this are still needed.
I genuinely believe that housing is one of the best careers out there. You get to make a real difference, especially when working for a housing association. I grew up in social housing, so being able to build more homes and see the impact that my team and I are making on local communities is priceless.
However, I’ve lost count of the number of events, meetings, conferences and site visits I’ve been at where there were more Rolexes in the room than women. It is very noticeable. And it gets lonely.
If we take the example of the G15 (and caveat it with the fact that the housing association environment is much more female-friendly than the rest of the development sector), we only have one woman at executive director level. The rest are all men.
Leading by example
At L&Q we have made it part of our mission to actively encourage diversity and gender equality, and I am proud to say we have almost a 50-50 balance in our development team. And more importantly, 45% of our leadership team is made up of women.
I believe that the time for change is now, because we now have so much on our side. With agile working, women are more empowered than ever before to juggle all their responsibilities. Legislation is on our side when we go on maternity leave – and when we come back. And most importantly, the men in our sector (and in our homes) have become our cheerleaders. Everything, in theory, is set up for us to succeed.
And it makes sense. We have all read the studies that female-led organisations outperform male-led ones. And we know that women-led companies have more women and more diversity in general at all levels. It’s not just good for individuals and business, but for society as a whole.
So this sector needs to catch up.
Vicky Savage is group director of development and sales at L&Q
