International Women’s Month inspired Q&A

Three women, all Owner/ Directors of Landscape Architectural practices, answer six questions about what it’s like to be a woman in this industry.

Interviewees:

Eleanor Trenfield (ET) is the Owner/ Director at EDLA

Wendy Lancaster (WL) is a Landscape Director at Tyler Grange

Catherine Xavier (CX) is the Owner/Director at Guarda Landscape

Q1

International Women’s Day calls for a gender-equal world. A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. The premise is that the world is not gender-equal. Is this right? What does this vision say to you?

ET: The world is not gender equal, but from my own experience, this is changing. I was brought up in the belief that I am no different in talent or ability than any man, and my parents encouraged me to achieve academically. This is a big shift from my mum’s experience just a generation ago, where her brothers were sent to university and she was sent to secretary school at 16 and encouraged to marry. I am not interested in being known as a female landscape architect, I am a Landscape Architect, full stop.

WL: Yes, I absolutely agree. Both women and men are subject to expectations on the way they should behave. The vision is where we should be, not just for gender, but for sexuality, race, and any other differences.

CX: I am the first generation where women have had the opportunity to choose jobs available to men and live a free and prosperous life without a man. Before there was complete gender bias, where men were the breadwinners and women stayed at home. My mum speaks about the lack of choice, sweeping assumptions and discrimination in every institution. Although women over 21 gained the right to vote in 1928, as late as the 1970s working women were refused mortgages because few were employed continuously. They were granted mortgages only if they could secure the signature of a male guarantor.

Equality has moved forward quickly since then and in the 30 years that I have been in the industry I have started to see women around the table, especially in architecture, planning, arboriculture and ecology and even engineering is seeing a surge in female representation. We are moving towards a more equitable world (or certainly the world that I inhabit), but we have some way to go before we can claim complete diversity. The same is also true of other minority groups and those who come from deprived backgrounds.

The vision is for everyone in the world to have choice and opportunity, regardless of who they are or where they come from. If they have a dream, they should have the opportunity to reach out and take it.

Q2

As a Director of a Landscape Practice, you are one of a small number of women in senior roles in our profession (outnumbered by more than double at senior level). What, if any, obstacles have you faced, and do you consider any of them were connected to you being a woman?

ET: I have been lucky to work in great practices gaining high-profile experience and a strong network. But it became obvious over time that the environment I was in was not supportive of more significant career growth. It was plain to see that men far outnumbered women in partnership roles and this culture can’t help but filter down throughout the business. Looking back, it was the most positive conclusion I could have come to, as I decided to be proactive and build a practice that reflected my values and aspirations.

WL: The expectations on how I should behave and how I should accept being treated, in ways that my male colleagues weren’t. I feel like I’ve been judged against a different set of criteria which has been hard to call out, and then there have been the straight-out instances of discrimination and harassment. I don’t believe I would have experienced those times as a man.

CX: It’s interesting because now I look around and I see a few women who own landscape architecture practices, including our current president, Jane Findlay. However, as I advanced my career back in the 1990’s and 2000’s, I didn’t even realise that I had the opportunity to set up my own practice. It seems ridiculous now looking back, but it just didn’t occur to me that it was an option.

This was due to the lack of role models at the time. Every practice owner seemed to be white and male, and from a well-educated background. I just didn’t fit that mould, being female, mixed-race, and from an inner-city comprehensive. Also, the careers advice being handed out in the 1980s was seriously lacking in ambition (more so for women?) and we were never taught about owning a business or being self-employed. I went to a career fair in London just before the pandemic and the students only wanted to know how to work for themselves. We have come a long way in the last few years.

I remained an employee until I reached my mid-40s and then I finally woke up to the fact that I could do it too, and maybe even better!

 

Q3.

An article by Romy Rawlings in the most recent LI Journal (attached) references findings from a blog by Robert Holden CMLI, she says, “There’s no problem attracting women into the profession. For salaries up to £50,000, the profession is pretty much at parity and younger women (particularly those without children) may well encounter no issues in the workplace. However, for those earning over £50,000, the situation declines and there is more than twice the number of men than women in this salary band”.

What are your views on this, why do you feel this is the case, and what do you feel are some of the remedies to address the lack of female senior representation?

ET: These issues are complex, and in many cases the data suggests that it is largely connected to a woman’s decision to have a family (not forgetting that there are obviously men involved in this decision too). More financial support with childcare to enable women to maintain their careers, and an acknowledgment within larger practices that a more balanced management board will result in a more balanced and positive business.

WL: There’s a cultural bias, in the way we network and do business. The majority of our clients and the other professions around the table, especially the more engineering and ‘nicely factual’ ones, are still dominated by men. We’re starting to see more women in the construction industry, especially the housebuilders, and more of these are in more senior positions. Creating environments where women can thrive, and supportive and positive practices around maternity leave, for example, positive examples from male and female leaders will all help to encourage women forward to the senior positions. This will reinforce the positive cycle.

CX: I don’t have children and so it is hard for me to comment personally on the Romy Rawlings article. However, taking time out of the profession is inevitably going to have an impact on career progression, for men and for women. If a couple chooses to have children, their priorities change, and parenting becomes a central focus in their lives.

The issue in the past has been that the woman has usually picked up a majority of this responsibility whilst the man is left to have a family and also progress his career at the same time. Society has to change to ensure that both parents take equal responsibility, which also benefits the children as they grow up close to both mother and father.

I also believe that subconscious bias is also another factor at play, i.e. hiring or promoting people that are just like you. I see this all the time and I am guilty of it too. We are naturally drawn to commonality or the familiar and it is basic human behaviour. This is why it is important for leaders to question their choices and even in some situations introduce temporary quotas to ensure that minorities have to be selected until there is some semblance of parity.

Q4.

Have you ever called out inequality or bias (unconscious or conscious)? Professionally or personally. Talk to this. If not, what do you see as one of the biggest issues in achieving a gender-equal society?

ET: Yes, I have called out bias and inequality but not as much as I should have as I was concerned that it would harm my career. I remember once raising something that really mattered to me personally about a situation at work, and it being brushed off because I was one of the ‘strawberry generation’, i.e. a sensitive female millennial who bruises easily. If you are brushed off when you raise something that matters to you, the chances are that you won’t raise it again. I have been put in extremely awkward positions in a forum of clients and consultants being asked when I am starting a family and ‘not to leave it too long’. And some have openly discussed women in their teams and their fertility. If I may give some advice here, this is not a subject area any woman is comfortable talking about within a professional environment.

WL: Absolutely, both in my earlier, pre-professional career and since I became a professional and, it’s been much harder. I found the more obvious sexism in my earlier careers easier to call out. The unconscious (and conscious) bias I’ve experienced in professional practice has been far more insidious. If I’d felt that there were women in senior roles who I could have gone to, I think the outcomes would have been very different.

CX: I am very aware of subconscious bias. For example, when I first set up the business I didn’t network with, or market to, a certain demographic because I realised that the likelihood of being taken seriously was low. I also enjoyed networking in London as there was greater diversity and so was more comfortable in this setting. I also met other female company owners and we worked united in our approach. All of this has become less pertinent now as the practice has developed an established reputation, although I am still sometimes greeted with surprise when I tell people that I am the only owner-director of the business.

Subconscious bias exists all the time and the only way to minimise its impact on diversity is to have diverse leadership.

Q5.

A new edition of Making Space (first published in 1984) comes with a new introduction from leading feminists that discuss the work’s conclusions that sexist assumptions on gender and sexuality have a fundamental impact on the way buildings are designed and our cities are planned. (Published by Verso in March 2022). Can you talk to this? Does this resonate with your practical experience?

ET: Given that our cities are predominantly governed, planned and designed by males who are from a similar background, I would suggest that it is not just a gender issue.

WL: Greater diversity in all aspects of design, whether it be Architectural, landscape or product, can only help understand the different needs that different groups have. A single group deciding what we all need isn’t going to result in those needs being fulfilled and can be dangerous. I recommend reading ‘Invisible Women’.

CX: I don’t think that gender is the problem. It is a lack of diversity and therefore narrow life experience which has stunted design in the past. We use our experiences to inform our thoughts, ideas and designs and if these are limited then the solutions will be limited. In my experience, the most successful designs are born out of collaboration. The greater the diversity in the team the better the result. Diversity of gender, age, background, health, ability, all bring together a wealth of experiences and therefore promotes true design inclusivity.

Q6.

As senior leaders in Landscape Architecture, what are you doing to #breakthebias? The hashtag and call to action for International Women’s Day?

ET: We foster an open culture in the practice, where people feel safe to raise ideas and issues that matter to them. We have started running networking events that offer something alternative to drinking culture and for those who cannot spare time in the evenings for more traditional networking events to be more inclusive for those with childcare commitments. We are a family-friendly practice and offer flexible working. We hire on talent, motivation and drive, not on gender.

WL: I’m trying to be better, to make sure I don’t perpetuate biases and assumptions about my team. One thing that resonates with me strongly is the way that women are treated before, during, and after their maternity leave. This has led me to consider how my male team members may experience similar or different issues around paternity leave. I want all my team members to feel empowered and supported, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race or any other difference.

CX: I am proud to be a positive role model for women in the industry and promote female representation in leadership positions. I try to advocate this within GUARDA and also endorse this view through my dealings with our consultants and clients on a day-to-day basis.

I admit that I find it slightly frustrating when I see practices post pictures of their female team members on International Women’s Day when I know that all of their leadership/director positions are held by men. I hope that as the years pass this will change and we will see parity of men and women at the top. Maybe then we no longer will need an International Women’s Day.

 

Q6(a)

Any advice you would give your younger self / younger female professionals out there who are embarking on a career in Landscape Architecture?

CX: Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you are not good enough. If you have the passion, desire and determination then you will be great. Surround yourself with mentors/advisors that you trust. Support is important and don’t be afraid to ask. So many people (men and women) genuinely want to help and see you do well.

You will never appeal to everyone and not everyone will like you or want to work with you. Don’t take it personally and just find out what works for you.

Also, starting a practice is a good option for a woman (and men), it is hard work but also offers control, flexibility and the beginning of many rewarding relationships.

ET: Find a mentor. Someone who will support you and help you to navigate the professional world. Preferably someone outside of the business you are in. There are great networks out there, such as Women in Planning which have a mentor training programme and connect mentors and mentees based on criteria. And it’s a personal decision and not an easy one, but if you feel able, speak out when things aren’t right.

WL: I wish I’d known about Landscape Planning as a career when I was doing my geography A levels; I got here by accident but it’s perfect for me. I’d say to all young women to trust your gut, you don’t need to put up with it or stay in a job where you’re not heard. There are great organisations in the industry, such as NAWIC, where you will find supportive and empowering women. We’re an industry short of people, we need to look after our colleagues.

 

The Landscape Institute is about to launch its latest sector survey which will include an analysis of gender balance and progress within the profession.