Women, Boards and the UK Built Environment

Despite years of attention, the built environment sector has failed to achieve anything like gender parity....

This is one of the - unsurprising - conclusions of The Equilibrium Network's recent report into this hot topic.

Trends found in international and cross-industry studies show that there is a correlation between a greater number of women on boards and company's financial performance.

This report provides a positive, performance-based argument for increasing gender diversity within the UK built environment, at board level and throughout the pipeline, and reveals the extent to which there are opportunities for real improvements in the sector.

However, the report has had to rely primarily on non-built environment companies for evidence of the benefits of gender parity, due to lack of publically available data from within the built environment sector itself. It therefore also reveals the acute lack of transparency in, and understanding of, gender diversity within built environment firms.

The report concludes that, the absence of standardised monitoring of gender data has contributed to the distinct lack of change in gender balance apparent over the last ten years.

In order to alleviate predicted severe skills shortages, to improve the sector's image, and to increase profits, it is critical that this situation is changed.

To find out more and request a copy of the full report please visit the research page of The Equilibrium Network website.