COMMENT In 1996, when I left Granada for Paris thanks to a scholarship, I was dreaming of a career in an international consumer goods corporation and didn’t know much about the world of real estate.
However, after more than 100 applications, the only interview I got was for a job as an analyst with a real estate company. That organisation was the only one that didn’t care about my maiden name, Azuagh Belkadi, or the fact that I didn’t graduate from a major French business school. It was therefore not exactly by choice that I ended up working in real estate, but I feel I got extremely lucky because over time I have developed a passion for it.
In the early 2000s our sector was massively dominated by men, and even though I don’t recall ever feeling uncomfortable being the only woman in the room or being treated unfairly by male colleagues, I do remember that there were very few non-white professionals around me, and women were mainly confined to support functions.
Born equal
I consider myself very fortunate – my father, husband and a couple of outstanding managers provided me with critical support which helped me to develop into the confident person and professional I am today.
My parents, and particularly my father, raised me with the conviction that we should all have equal chances in life, regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity or socio-economic background. I experienced no difference in the way my eldest brother and I were raised. My father encouraged me to make my own decisions, and he and my mother always stood behind me.
My husband always respected our deal: both careers were important, and we both shared the responsibility of raising the three wonderful children we have.
Most of my managers were men, and some of them believed in me with great conviction, encouraging me to take on more responsibilities and treating me like the developing professional I was at that time.
Work in progress
My current active commitment to ED&I (as co-chair of the ED&I council at Patrizia) helps me understand that my own experience is not universal and that, despite the many advancements we have seen in the past decade alone, there is still more to be done to create a more inclusive and representative society and industry, where people from all walks of life can thrive and succeed.
Our goal should be to create an environment where any individual can find their own pathway to accomplishment and success. Education, for me, is essential and it starts at home – as parents, it is our job to ensure that our children are treated fairly, feel supported and are enabled to pursue their interests.
Corporations, of course, also have a key role to play and should educate their people at all levels, particularly around the issue of unconscious bias, which is something that every single person experiences as they go through life.
Our industry is changing, sometimes as a result of regulations, but also thanks to the increased awareness of the necessity and the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace. In this context, policies are instrumental in guiding and framing the path towards progress, and I personally feel that recruitment and parental leave policies are especially important here. Appropriate recruitment policies oblige organisations to hire a more diverse workforce, which has an immediate effect on ED&I, while equal parental leave options for all genders is the right course for enabling a true gender balance.
Inequality still persists in our society and industry, with all the risks it entails, but we are lucky to have the support of reputable organisations, such as ULI, INREV, EPRA and many others, which are driving change in the real estate sector, helping it become more representative of the world we live in.
Having had a positive experience in real estate myself, as a woman proud of my North African roots, I am acutely aware of the fact that many professionals continue to find this industry intimidating, which is something I strive to address as part of my day-to-day role, and it is comforting to know that I am not alone.
Amal del Monaco is head of asset management at Patrizia
