Across the UK, the housing sector has long been a male-dominated spaces in departments such as Maintenance, Technical Services and Development.  At FCHA we have been making strides to develop a more inclusive atmosphere to increase diversity across all departments. Â
Over the past 3 years we have seen a significant transformation with our Maintenance and Technical department increasing from 0% female representation to over 50%. Bringing women into these spaces is not just about increasing numbers or hitting a goal, it's about the value that diversity within these departments beings to our organisation. Here's Keeli, Sian and Tina to give their experiences in the workplace. Â
Keeli - Technical Services Assistant Manager
I was made redundant in 2008 and it gave me an opportunity to re-evaluate my work journey. I had trained to become a home inspector/energy assessor and when the recession started in 2008, I was looking at job security and reduced risk ,thus entering housing. Here I learnt the  ropes for reactive maintenance.Â
Over the years, I have improved my knowledge, works skills and experience within housing in all aspects, as the property is affected by every department. As I'm fairly new to FCHA, I would say the benefit would be the transition into dealing with a different type of contract holder role and the varied requirements and needs.Â
As a female in this industry, I have had some challenges and know other females that have had worse experiences than myself. In some parts of the country, it's still perceived to be a male dominated industry, and I would say with experience I don't have those challenges as much. Training and experience helped improve this as I can confidently talk about a lot of the building industry and not listen to derogatory comments or language.  Women in my role has moved with the times. There are still  challenges for women is in the trade community with a  low number of electricians, carpenters and  heating engineers and  still I  hear horrendous stories of sexist comments .Â
Tina - Apprentice Electirician
I think being an electrical apprentice it made sense to work in housing as it is a perfect mix of repairs and new installations to help me gain the skills I will need to qualify. FCHA is the perfect fit for a female in this sector due to the support and empowerment they give to women in my role.
FCHA Supported me by giving me a whole year of experience working alongside the electrician before I could start my 3rd year at college. They also gave me all the relevant training I needed throughout my time here. They have helped by giving me time to revise for exams and any support I have needed they have given. Being a woman in the electrical industry can bring a balance to projects as different life experiences often mean a wider range of ideas, problem solving approaches and communication styles.
I think the diversity can lead to stronger collaborations and bring a different perspective and outlook on tasks. I'd like to see more awareness and opportunities in the housing by promoting trade careers to people.Â
Sian - Development Officer Â
When I was a newly qualified architect, being a young woman on construction sites with an influential role could be intimidating. I learned quickly that the guys on site didn’t take well to being told what to do. So, I started asking, ‘this is what we need to achieve, how would you do this?’ Listening to their point of view earned me respect and meant they were also willing to listen to my approach. Nearly 20 years on, I’m still applying this, and think it makes for better results and respectful relationships with contractor and consultants.Â
I grew up around makers, fixers and designers. My family ran a consulting engineering firm, so my sister and I spent a lot of time poking around dilapidated buildings with my dad and folding endless construction drawings in the school holidays. When I moved back to Wales around 8 years ago, I took a job at a practice specialising in social housing. It was really refreshing to be working with a purpose, and I enjoyed working with RSL clients to get the most out projects for their tenants. During the covid pandemic I took role with Housing Justice Cymru, identifying buildings and land for the development of social housing and lobbying policy makers to provide more affordable housing in Wales. I encountered FCHA through HJC and really loved their mission, so when a role came up in the development team, I jumped at the chance to get back in the action of providing homes, turns out I’d really missed the problem solving and technical challenges of being on site.Â
Coming to work for FCHA was a big culture shock, I was used to working in the private sector. FCHA invest time and money into our development and wellbeing, and the structure in place allows us to get on with the job of creating new homes. The development team has an array of experience that complement nicely, everyone is approachable and ready to share their experience or expertise to help deliver the schemes. Whilst I might be the only women on the team, I don’t feel like I’m treated any differently.Â
I think women have to be great problem solvers, as we’re used to living in a world that isn’t always designed with us in mind; which makes it easier to empathise with our tenants. With my experience of designing buildings, I often help review layouts with the team. I try put myself in the shoes of our tenants and think, could we make this more comfortable or easier to use, and are we thinking about their future needs?Â
I think the housing associations are a great place for women in construction, as early adopters of equality, diversity and inclusion frameworks they are a safe environment for feeling seen and supported in the construction industry. FCHAs gender diversity across all roles is a great example of this and I would hope that it would in encourage more women to join the organisation in technical roles as we continue to grow and demonstrate that collectively we are better team because of it.Â
Why it's important to us.
Women entering these roles provides fresh insights and alternative approaches to problem solving. Their contributions have led to a wealth of new solutions and innovative strategies to projects that the Association manages and strategically bring new perspectives to long term strategies to improve the organisation and the livelihood of staff and tenants. This ripples out beyond strategies at the organisation and influences our recruitment practices ensuring that we now attract a broader range of applications and foster a more inclusive workplace culture. Â
The impact of this is significant in the context of social housing. Women make up 60% of homeless adults in temporary accommodation and 92% of single parents moving into social housing.
Having women involved in the design, development and maintenance of these homes ensures that the lived experiences of those most affected are considered in every decision from layout to safety, accessibility and comfort. Â
We're continuing to listen, learn and lead with inclusivity at the heart of our mission.Â
