EVENT | The gender landscape is changing for the positive at MIPIM
For the avoidance of doubt…inequality does not reside solely at MIPIM but it is a reflection of the business as a whole and at senior level specifically.
I attended MIPIM for the 3rd time this year. And shock horror – I enjoyed it.
I have an enormous passion for the work I do as an architect and partner of the studio, and MIPIM offers a huge melting pot of ideas with a global perspective. It is a great place to share and learn. It provides an opportunity to meet some wonderful people. It takes you out of the everyday and allows you the space and energy to think big.
In recent years, MPIM quite rightly has been called out for some appalling behaviour and it is true to say that white middle-aged men still make up the greatest percentage of visitors by far.
For the avoidance of doubt however, inequality does not reside solely at MIPIM. MIPIM is a reflection of the business as a whole and at senior level specifically. This is where the greatest disparity lies.
Sniping from the side-lines at MIPIM for its lack of gender diversity, seems to have become an annual past time. An easy target to exploit, for some linkedIn ‘likes’ from middle-aged white men (ironic) who stayed at home. I have even been on the receiving end of a raised eyebrow – again from a member of the opposite sex – when I have said I enjoy MIPIM.
I fear there may be an element of double standards creeping in here. Those who are so appalled at the obvious imbalances in representation at MIPIM should also be appalled on a daily basis at the lack of imbalance in the industry. Where are those posts!
And for me to forego MIPIM on the grounds of its gender imbalance and fear of any un-gentlemanly behaviour is nonsensical. Why would I deprive myself of such an event and leave all the fun to the chaps? And frankly, if that is my barometer, I would have stayed at home 3 decades ago!
The gender landscape is changing for the positive, and in recent years I am delighted to report a surge of women in senior positions. And let’s not forget there are also other inequalities to consider, such as ethnicity, social economic and cultural imbalances.
So, I am going to do continue to do what I have always done. Be an ambassador for women in the industry and get on with the job I love. See you at MIPIM 2023
