Interview with Andrea Merrington for International Women's Day

With this year’s International Women’s Day theme of ‘EmbraceEquity’, Andrea Merrington, Director of Planning and Engagement at The Howard de Walden Estate, reflects on her career to date in planning, and the challenges she has faced as the industry tries to shift the dial on gender.

Since joining Howard de Walden in 2010, there has been an evident sector-wide shift across the property industry, but has enough been done to close the gender gap?

The industry has moved forwards, but there is still a lot of work to be done. When I started my career in planning in Toronto, Canada, 19 years ago, I was one of very few female faces around the table, often automatically assumed to be the note-taker and coffee-pourer. I, and women like me, have progressed in the industry despite this, but women often reach a point in their lives whereby their career path must be re-evaluated – which I view as an unfair choice for women to have to make.

In my view, it all comes back to the historical perception of the women's role as the primary caregivers; it’s not just property that is male-orientated, although old rules of primogeniture ensured that for a long time, property and land ownership mostly excluded women. Ultimately, embracing equity is about getting rid of the last vestiges and dismantling the systemic and structural barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential.

I firmly believe in creating equity-based solutions which take the diverse experiences of individuals into account. Motherhood is only one reason women can leave the workplace – in fact, I started here at Howard de Walden as maternity cover – but women might also have other caring responsibilities, which pose different challenges. It’s not just about levelling the playing field: it’s about ensuring equality of opportunity regardless of individual circumstances. And not to presume that a woman should give up or sacrifice her career.

International Women’s Day reminds us that, as women, we have the strength in numbers to support one another. Young women need to be supported and encouraged. For example, I’ve derived a huge amount of benefit from the independent network Women in Planning. Women-led networks like this champion gender equality in the industry and offer a career development mentoring scheme. I’m personally involved as a mentor and have found it hugely rewarding. I’ve been able to communicate my experience not just as a manager but approach my mentee’s problems and questions with the empathy and understanding which comes from a shared female perspective.

I count myself very lucky to be working at a company which understands the need for parity across the board, irrespective of gender. Recently announced steps to enhance maternity and paternity pay and the introduction of shared parental leave are hugely promising. However, I also am aware that not all women have this sort of privilege, and it is incumbent on everyone in the property industry to foster a culture where males and females feel supported throughout their entire career.

The introduction of flexible working is also a recently introduced benefit that can take a significant amount of pressure off caregivers. At Howard de Walden, colleagues are advised to be in the office or onsite, the majority of the working week but with flexibility to work remotely. For me, this is particularly useful as it allows me to balance both my family and career which I am passionate about.  

I am hugely proud to be working for a family run business and while there are clearly further steps that still need to be taken, I feel that the industry as a whole has made admirable progress in reducing the gender disparity gap.