Ambitious targets drive diversity
A new target of 40 per cent female representation on Property Council committees can drive real change, says architect Renaye Peters.
The Property Council’s new 40:40:20 campaign has been created to boost the number of women participating in committees and working groups around the country.
In 2014, the Property Council set its sights on 30 per cent representation of women on committees, and a national benchmark of 25 per cent was achieved.
In 2016, with the committee spill slated for October, a participation target of 40 per cent women, 40 per cent men and 20 per cent discretionary has been set.
Peters, a director of architecture practice Conrad Gargett, says participating in a Property Council committee helps women build their professional networks, market knowledge and profiles.
“Participating in committees puts you in contact with many interesting and engaged people across a broad cross-section of the industry – people you may not meet every day. These connections can help you identify the next step in your career.”
Peters knows a thing or two about industry participation. Chair of the Property Council’s Women & Diversity Committee in Queensland, Peters serves on a number of boards and committees including the Brisbane City Council Infrastructure Committee, the Urban Land Development Authority and the University of Queensland Senate.
“Women often think they need a lot of experience to join a committee, when really it’s about a group of people getting ‘stuff done’ in a professional manner to help the industry.”
“The workload may wax and wane depending on the key issues at the time, and everyone is able to choose their level of engagement. There’s an enormous amount of flexibility in most committees, as everyone understands the constraints involved when working on fast-paced projects and tight deadlines,” she adds.
40:40:20 campaign launch events will be occurring around the country in the weeks ahead. More information is available online.
Nominations open Monday 3 October 2016.