International Women’s Day: Interview with Julia Mulloy

This year's theme is BreaktheBias. What does that mean to you?

To me, it simply means doing what we can to ensure women have an equal place at the table and remove the barriers when we don’t. That table can be the workplace,  housing need, incomes or even just voices being heard.

What do you think are the key challenges facing women in the workplace?

Women are hardest hit by the economic impact of COVID – more likely to be carers, more likely to be in part-time work, lower paid jobs – all hard to juggle anyway but even harder in a pandemic.  They all impact on the freedom to study, expand experience, commute, take on bigger roles etc.  Attitudes have changed but we still need to see more women holding an equal footing – particularly in construction work and in Governance.

What advice would you give to women looking to pursue a career in housing?

It’s a brilliant environment to flourish in and diversity and inclusion is at the heart of the Scottish Housing Sector.  Learn from the great leaders you see, talk to women leaders about their journey, make the most of opportunities to learn from their experiences and most of all see how you can use your career to  impact on the lives of others.  If you really want to grow, don’t just think of your housing career as a straight line to the top, get experience across the themes of housing, construction, care, advice work etc.  Forge your path and grow your skills.