A recent roundtable event brought together leaders from the built environment and women’s rugby to challenge gender misconceptions and promote inclusion in both sectors.
The event, hosted by Wates Construction in partnership with Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), focused on representation, leadership and how collaboration can drive equity, visibility and innovation.
The roundtable highlighted the need for continued partnership, investment and proactive growth to combat the gender divide in traditionally male-dominated sectors.
Attendees discussed the shared challenges women face regarding representation and opportunity in both the built environment and sport.
They drew parallels between the demands of high-performance sport and high-performance work in construction. The need for proactive, not just passive, change was a recurring theme.
Attendees stressed that talent-based assessments and fair hiring processes are vital for supporting women and encouraging men to become better allies, both in the workplace and on the field.
The use of data to understand and address gender imbalances was seen as essential. Flexible working and job design were also discussed as effective ways to attract and retain more women.
The connection between sport and business is clear: both are rapidly growing, and both need to mirror equality
A need for real change
Commenting on the work Wates is doing to champion gender equity, Steff Battle, executive managing director at the company, said: “We’re starting to make real changes by implementing processes and systems that help balance the gender split, and by making talent-based assessments when deciding who we promote.
“We’re also working to change our hiring policies to support men in becoming better allies for women in the built environment sector.
“I’ve seen that women are often less likely to apply for promotions, making fair hiring processes essential to create an environment where everyone feels able to put themselves forward.
“The connection between sport and business is clear: both are rapidly growing, and both need to mirror equality.”
Carol Massay, founder of Unity for Construction and chair of the roundtable, added: “It’s so important to have a culture where you can share what you want to do, because you can’t be what you can’t see.
“There’s a real shortage of skills in the industry, and progress isn’t confined to the field or the building site; it’s about shared values and creating an environment where people feel they can do their best.
“Opening up options and designing jobs flexibly is still a challenge, but it’s essential if we want the right people in business and to allow everyone to thrive.
“Diversity of thought is becoming more visible, and it excites me to see so many young women coming through and thriving.”
It’s so important to have a culture where you can share what you want to do, because you can’t be what you can’t see
‘Breaking open old assumptions’
There was unanimous agreement on the need for investment to support women in rugby and construction.
Initiatives such as Wates’ sponsorship of PWR were cited as crucial for challenging assumptions and growing audiences.
Attendees also called for a sector-wide, collaborative approach to make construction a more welcoming environment for women.
Genevieve Shore, executive chair of Premiership Women’s Rugby, said: “It’s about being brave enough to say, ‘this isn’t good enough’. In rugby so much has changed in just six years, but there are still pockets where people question why women play rugby.
“Our partnership with Wates is important because it’s built on integrity, belief and a platform for real impact.
“Every penny of this partnership is spent breaking open old assumptions and growing the audience for women’s rugby.”
