Helen James, Senior Project Manager at Milligan reflects on this year’s IWD theme.
“International Women’s Day celebrates the achievements of women across the globe, and this year’s theme, Give to Gain, encourages us to share knowledge and take purposeful action. In construction and property, we have learned a great deal about how to build a more equitable industry and now is the moment to act on that learning. At the heart of everything is one principle: trust. Trust in how we lead, how we work, and how we design the environments where people spend their time.
“Women strengthen our industry in countless ways, but diversity is not simply a “women’s issue.” A workforce that reflects a range of backgrounds, identities, abilities and life experiences performs better, innovates faster and makes better decisions. I asked for our CEO Stuart Harris’s view. He said:
“Diversity isn’t about meeting a metric, it’s about making our industry stronger. The more inclusive we are, the better the outcomes we deliver for partners, communities and our own teams.”
“Research from Women in Property’s Building Balance and Leading with Trust programmes highlights a critical shift: managers today are not just managing work; they are managing people. Employees thrive when they experience dignity, respect and trust, and this is a skillset that must be nurtured. Without it, issues of retention, wellbeing, productivity and equity will continue to cycle.
“One of the clearest demonstrations of trust is flexible working. It expands the recruitment pool, improves wellbeing and helps retain talent that might otherwise leave the sector. A site‑based pilot study by Timewise led by Build UK found that flexible working did not negatively impact programme or cost, but it did reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing. The evidence is clear: flexibility works.
“Importantly, flexible working is not solely for women or parents. Caring responsibilities, health needs and personal commitments affect everyone. What matters most is finding the right rhythm within teams, balancing face‑to‑face time for learning with the autonomy people need to work effectively. As Stuart reflects about his team:
“Our flexible approach means individuals can manage their workload around caring responsibilities without compromising delivery, it’s made everyone more productive, not less. Flexibility has strengthened our team culture. We trust each other to deliver, and that trust pays off in the quality of our work.”
“However, trust cannot stop at office‑based flexibility. It must extend to the physical realities of site work. At the APPG Women in Work session in July 2025, it became clear that many site environments are still not inclusive for women or for people from different cultures. This contributes to the stark statistic that women make up just 1–2% of site workers. Despite improvements over the years, too many welfare facilities and site setups remain below an inclusive standard.
“That is why the launch of Women for Construction’s National Site Standard for Female Operatives, now adopted by the Considerate Constructors Scheme, is a milestone moment. It sets out clear expectations for inclusion, safety and welfare and it will help improve both recruitment and retention.
“Stuart expresses Milligan’s support – “The National Site Standard is a major step forward. It gives the industry a practical framework for making sites more inclusive, and when sites improve, the whole industry benefits.”
“There will be challenges in implementing a new standard, but this should not deter us. Progress requires persistence. The issues we discussed in 2025 were being raised 20 years earlier; change has come, but far too slowly. Now we have a tangible opportunity to accelerate it.
“International Women’s Day invites us to “Give to Gain.” What we give – trust, flexibility, inclusive environments and commitment to better standards, will allow our industry to gain talent, innovation and long‑overdue equity. The pathway forward is clear. Let’s move forward together and build an industry where everyone can thrive.”
