Women in Property (Associate Partner)

WiP is founded on the principles of equality for all and, over the past 36 years, it has quietly used influence and engagement to encourage businesses to get behind their female staff, improve the career pipeline and understand the benefits of a more diverse workforce.

While its multi-discipline membership is women, its remit has always been about inclusion in its widest sense – so gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social background, age and people with a disability. It is truly encouraging that, in recent years, awareness and understanding of inclusion has increased, as industry has begun to recognise that a diverse team is a happier, more productive team, representing a vibrant, inspiring and multifaceted society. And that can only be good, for all.

As professionals in the workplace, our gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation… is not what defines us.

Our visibility should be because of the quality of the work we do and the value we bring. WiP has asked members about visibility and all said they are professionals first and foremost, and wish to be recognised for that, our differentiators being a valuable asset. We are all professional people working in this industry, with diverse backgrounds but it is the intersectionality that is still missing, the lack of representation from other groups.

WiP has seven branches and seven ‘satellite’ branches across the country, from Northern Scotland down to Devon & Cornwall. The branches all have the autonomy to run their own events – the majority of which are open to non-members of all genders - which range from site studies, professional workshops and panel debates, through to gin tastings and netwalking. WiP is now achieving CPD accreditation as appropriate, for many of its events, meaning that attendees can gain valuable CPD points on a one-hour webinar at lunchtime, or by booking onto site studies, or attending an in-person presentation.

Across the country WiP runs Schools Outreach sessions to help children to think about property and construction in a different way and encourage the next generation of professionals, plus it runs the National Student Awards which this year will culminate with the Best of the Best Awards Dinner at Claridge’s on 21^st September.

All of this is volunteer-driven through its members, National Advisory Board and National Chair, through its branch committees and supported by a virtual, paid National Executive team of four.

If you would like get involved as a member, please visit the website for details, or if you would like to support WiP by hosting events, contributing to webinars, or sponsoring Outreach work or Student Awards please contact NationalChair@womeninproperty.org.uk.