Tackling bullying and harassment in the built environment: how mentoring can change the culture

Architects’ Journal published an article earlier this week, highlighting the shocking scale of bullying and harassment of women architects, with half of female architects having been bullied at work, while one in three have been sexually harassed.

The Build It Together report, carried out by the Fawcett Society and commissioned by RIBA, reveals that there are persistent toxic cultures, and that many of the issues identified in 2003 – presenteeism, a culture of overwork, barriers to progression and a gender pay gap of 11.3 per cent – still define the profession today. Women of mixed or multiple ethnicities are disproportionately affected, with 63% reporting bullying, rising to 73% for Black women. Inflexible working hours, lack of support for caring responsibilities, and limited networking opportunities all exacerbate these inequities.

However, there is evidence of some seeds of change: practices experimenting with flexible work, mentoring networks, and new collaborations between grassroots groups and RIBA itself. 

While the report focuses on architecture, the findings reflect issues that extend across the entire built environment.

From awareness to action

While reports like these are crucial in exposing the problem, awareness alone isn’t enough. We need tools, structures, and shared commitment to transform workplace culture — across architecture and the wider built environment. At EQN, we know that the key is turning insight into practical action. Mentoring is one of the most effective ways to support women in navigating organisational culture, gaining influence, and advancing to senior roles.

EQN’s free Mentoring Toolkit — a resource designed to help women become influential, senior players in organisations that create the built environment, does exactly this. It supports all mentors and mentees, regardless of gender, and provides practical guidance for embedding gender diversity in working practices, organisational culture, and project delivery.

What’s next?

EQN will explore these issues further at our 19 November event, a debate-style discussion on moving from representation to true inclusion in the built environment. By equipping individuals and organisations with mentoring tools and practical strategies, we can start to dismantle toxic cultures and create workplaces that are safer, fairer, and more inclusive for everyone.

👉 Download the Mentoring Toolkit here

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You can read the full AJ article here and the RIBA Journal article and full Build it Together report here