‘Women in the Built Environment’ initiative launches in the UK and Europe

The initiative is dedicated to empowering women in the built environment sectors by providing a private social learning online platform for professional engagement and growth.

Members can access monthly webinars on the platform, covering topics such as ‘Bridging Engineering and Psychology’ (hosted on July 17, 2024), AI trends and innovation, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and wellbeing and wellness in the work environment.

The platform aims to establish a network of women across Europe, the UK and Africa, who can share their experiences, learning and insights with ‘others who may have little or no access to quality mentorship and professional networks,’ according to the organisation. WITBE also hosts a global awards event, in partnership with the annual WICE Awards.

WITBE, created by the founders of KMG, has reached over 800 members across Africa since its foundation in 2021, hosting over 36 webinars and obtaining 12 country ambassadors.

Its founders said that there has never been a more important time to ‘empower and enable the under-represented professional women’ in the engineering and construction workforces, particularly due to the worsening skills shortage in the UK built environment.

In a statement, Shelley Coleman-Marsh, co-founder of KMG and WITBE, said: “WITBE aims to offer a secure platform for women across all built environment disciplines. Here, women can engage in meaningful conversations, ask questions freely, and participate in thematic knowledge exchanges on topics such as psychological safety, leadership transition, and professional registration.

“Our mission is to unite women in the built environment sector and support groups, movements, and initiatives dedicated to women in engineering and construction. Through social learning and potential pairings with counterparts in Africa, WITBE aims to foster a collaborative community of changemakers.”

The launch of WITBE in the UK and Europe coincides with this week’s International Women in Engineering Day (June 23, 2024), and has been supported by the WICE Awards and Zars Media. The programme will run until the end of May, 2025.

It has also been supported by the Set Squared incubator at the Surrey Research Park, funded by Surrey University, since its foundation.

The organisation has named its first UK patron as Yewande Akinola, an award-winning engineer, presenter, and vice-president of the IET.

To find out more about WITBE, or to register to join the platform, click here.