I’ve always believed that women and property go together, and that the historical underrepresentation of women in senior property roles is an opportunity missed for the creation of great cities and communities.

Equal representation of women in the property industry is important, because the places we create should reflect the people we serve. That’s why I became a member of CEOs for Gender Equity.

I’ve been fortunate in my career, from public sector to property, to have women in senior leadership guide the way. They helped create workplaces where women could build meaningful careers, raise families and lead teams and organisations. Their mentorship shaped my own leadership journey and reinforced the importance of representation. When women see women leading, possibilities expand. I see my responsibility as ensuring that ripple effect continues for the next generation.

At DevelopmentWA, we’re responsible for creating exceptional places across Western Australia. To do that well, we need diverse voices at every level of our organisation. From graduates entering the industry, to middle management, senior leaders and executives, representation strengthens decision-making and improves the outcomes we deliver. Diverse voices help us challenge assumptions, solve complex problems and create places that better reflect the communities we serve.

This commitment is embedded in how we deliver strategy, workforce planning and leadership. Today, women make up 55 per cent of our organisation and 40 per cent of our senior leadership team, and three of our five current executive leaders are women. I’m proud of this progress and that our culture has enabled this possibility. There’s still more to do.

But creating gender equity requires more than representation. It requires systems, policies and behaviours that enable people to succeed. We support our people through equitable parental leave, mentoring, career development and leadership opportunities. Our Women in Property Strategy reflects a long-term commitment to building a stronger pipeline of female talent and leadership across the industry.

We’re investing across that pipeline through engagement with schools and universities, paid internship opportunities, mentoring and leadership programs. We support initiatives such as the Property Council's 500 Women in Property program, and our cross-business Women in Property group brings together leaders and team members to champion ideas, build networks and challenge how we do things.

Gender equity can’t depend on a single event or awareness day. It must be embedded. It’s our leadership from the top and listening to people at every level of our organisation including what they need and how we can support.

Real change and true gender equity comes through the daily effort of how we all show up for others, through real conversations, monitoring and evaluating progress, and continually improving, all in the pursuit of creating better cities and communities for Western Australians.