On Monday 9 November 2026, Women in Business Charter and Women in Property South West come together at Burges Salmon in Bristol for Foundations for Change: Building the Balance in the Built Environment.
The morning draws on the findings of Women in Property’s Building Balance survey, which highlighted challenges around workplace culture, career progression, flexibility and inclusion.
Delivering the keynote is Rachel Bell, Director of Partnerships at Stride Treglown, a long standing Signatory of the Charter. An architect with 25 years’ experience, Rachel has chaired Women in Property (WiP) both regionally and nationally. Ahead of the event, we asked her about the survey, the barriers women face especially in the middle years, and what leaders can do now - and next year.
Entry level is balanced. Mid-career is where it breaks
Women in Business Charter (WiBC): The Building Balance survey found half of respondents have considered leaving the industry. What did that tell you, and what surprised you most?
Rachel Bell: This may have appeared shocking, but I wasn’t surprised. In architecture we have 50/50 gender diversity at entry level, and other sectors are also reasonably well balanced early in careers. It’s at mid-career that the problems stack up and women leave. That tells us the current “norm” isn’t working for them.
But this isn’t just about women. Too often the issues are framed around women, and the problem is placed firmly in their court, when nearly 50% of the population are men. A problem shared is a problem halved.
Women in Property is 40 next year, and in that time things have improved a lot. We shouldn’t forget that. But there is a way to go, and organisations like ours are still needed to provide support, mentoring, encouragement and friendship.
Flexibility first, and bring men with us
WiBC: What are the biggest challenges facing women in the built environment right now, and which one would you tackle first?
Rachel Bell: I have to go back to the Building Balance conversation. For very many women, one of the biggest challenges is access to a flexible working environment, particularly for those returning from parental leave. But this isn’t just about childcare. A flexible, empathetic team and working environment makes a world of difference to all of us, irrespective of gender, so making these changes will reap dividends.
We cannot tackle change alone. We must bring our male allies and supporters with us. They can be our greatest advocates.
Know your values, and leave the ladder down
WiBC: What can women do right now, in their own careers, to build momentum while the wider culture catches up?
Rachel Bell: Be clear about your values and respect your own personal boundaries. Connect with others who share the same values and goals, and cheerlead for others, particularly the younger ones in the room. Leave the ladder down for them.
Policy on paper, strain in the structure
WiBC: What should leaders commit to this week, not this year, to start shifting the culture?
Rachel Bell: Address your flexible working policy. Create a safe and inclusive workplace and, with it, an empathetic workforce. That helps build empowering, trusting working relationships and enables open and honest conversations, which work for employers and their staff.
But, critically, make sure your middle managers understand and have bought in. They are the ones who need to uphold the policy, day to day.
Scaffolding, not the building
WiBC: Looking ahead five years, what does a genuinely balanced built environment look like, and how will we know we’ve got there?
Rachel Bell: Balance is about listening, respect and understanding. If we bring all three into our business decisions and team relationships, we will be on the way to a balanced industry.
We will know we’ve got there when organisations like ours are effectively ‘redundant’, victims of our own success. We will have moved on from discussions like this, and I won’t be asked, ‘Why does WiP or the Women in Business Charter exist?’
Laying the foundations on 9 November
Rachel’s keynote is a central part of the morning, including a panel, Building Foundations in Practice: Lessons from the Sector, with Rachel, Gemma Ferris, D&I Specialist at Burges Salmon, and Temba Mahari, EDI Business Partner at UWE Bristol. Attendees will then join facilitated table discussions on belonging, being visible and valued, and moving from conversation to change, before sharing the commitments they will take back to their organisations.
The event is open to Women in Business Charter Signatories, Women in Property members and industry practitioners of all genders, with booking initially restricted to members. Book your place via Eventbrite by 8 November.