How else can women raise their profiles in their roles and industry?
Strike up conversations with people. Opportunities are everywhere, and you never know what might come out of a casual conversation. Actively participate in groups and activities outside your daily routine. If one group doesn’t work for you try another. Attend conferences and consider further education or
Lindsay ScottCourse
I’m Lindsay Scott, Director of Arras People, a project management recruitment and careers specialist in the UK and I’m also a member of The Glassbreakers.
Is the number of women looking for project management roles on the increase?
At Arras People we’ve been monitoring many stats about UK practitioners, over the last nine years of the Project Management Benchmark Report the gender splits between male and female practitioners has been roughly 70:30 in favour of men. Interestingly in this year’s Benchmark Report we focused on the next generation and were surprised to see current student ratios at 53:47 – in favour of women. Whilst this is current student level ratios we will have to wait and see how the ratios end up in the next 5 – 10 years.
Do you think that women need to make extra effort to “stand out” from their male counterparts when looking for a project management role?Exam
Personally, I don’t think women need to be making any special efforts – after all, would a male project manager be even thinking about gender when it comes to finding a new position? No, what they are thinking about is ‘am I better than the competition and do I have the right kind of experience and skills this company is looking for?’ With over 12 years’ experience in recruitment for project practitioners I would say that the most marginalised group is actually over 50 and male.
How would you advise women to develop their CV for a project management role?
Again, the advice doesn’t differ for male or female. It’s all about writing a CV that a hirer will want to read. That’s the mistake that many people make – they write a CV from their own perspective, failing to remember that actually they need to put themselves in the hirer’s shoes.
Why do you think the project management field is male dominated?Reviews
I think it’s a legacy thing – the project management industry in the UK decades ago was heavily associated with traditional male dominated sectors – construction, rail, manufacturing etc. Today, project management is across nearly every sector you can think of, so naturally you will see an increase in female project managersFAQs. I also think the education establishments have also helped in opening up these once male dominated sectors to female workers. More and more women are working in these fields and it is only natural that they will be considered to PM posts alongside their male counterparts.
Teri Okoro£2,099
I’m the Chair of APM’s Women in Project Management (WIPM) and the founder and director of a construction design and project consultancy. I’m also member of the Construction Industry Council’s diversity panel and a gender and diversity commentator.
How did WIPM come about?Enrol now
The idea for WIPM was proposed by Jean Bilsborough, an APM member who wished to create a forum for women to develop their skills and network.
There was awareness at the time that there were no clear initiatives for ‘encouraging, developing and introducing more women into project management’. The well attended inaugural meeting was held in 1993 and the group has been in existence ever since.
Its initial mission statement was broad – to develop the role of women in project management and the develop project management through the role of women by education, research, networking and dissemination.{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"EducationEvent","name":"MSP Practitioner (with Foundation) course","startDate":"2026-10-26","endDate":"2026-10-29","description":"MSP Practitioner (with Foundation) course","url":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/programme-management/programme-management-courses/msp-courses/msp-practitioner","eventStatus":"EventScheduled","eventAttendanceMode":"OnlineEventAttendanceMode","audience":{"@type":"Audience","name":"
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Fourthly and not the least, we aim to build a collaborative community and grow dynamic networks and links with like-minded organisations. It is important that good practice is shared and efforts are not duplicated. We appreciate the time our members and committee give and wish to use it effectively. One likeminded organization we have recently been in contact with can link up women project personnel when they are travelling and away from home.
WIPM organizes regular personal development and networking events, webinars28 Oct - 29 Oct and joint events (such as the one day workshop with the University of Oxford Institute of Gender Studies, Lady Margaret Hall) as well as biannual conferences. We are planning a video for schools and universities to encourage more girls and greater diversity in our profession. It is intended that additional videos aimed at project professionals follow.
An initiative we are actively supporting is the Inspire the Future campaign. Encouraging more project professionals and women particularly to register to volunteer one day a year to attend a local school to talk about P3M as a career during my term as Chair, I have endeavoured to strengthen our regional links. We have had anniversary branded events arranged across the UK from South West to South East, North East and Scotland with topics ranging from career progression, change and MSP Practitioner course (Online)diversity , to the Glasgow games, its legacy and how diversity was managed. £1,299
Do you have any words of advice for women project managers?
Women must be aware that they need to take control of their career progression, actively plan and work towards their own goal. Much survey data indicates that many women have entered Enrol nowproject management by default, having not planned it but excel nevertheless.
Whilst focusing on current challenges and associated work satisfaction is great, planning for the next level is critical. There should be awareness also that what gets you to this current point will not necessarily take you to the next level. The next level is likely to differ from one individual to another.
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Teri Okoro is Chair of APM’s Women in Project Management and a founding director of TOCA a construction design and project consultancy. She is also a member of the Construction Industry Council diversity panel, non-executive director, speaker and commentator on gender and diversity matters.
Naomi Caietti23 Nov - 26 Nov
I’m Naomi Caietti, CEO of The Glass Breakers, a global speaker, blogger, corporate consultant, author and expert on personal growth and leadership development for project/program/portfolio managers.
How were the members selected for The Glass Breakers group?MSP Practitioner (with Foundation) course (Online)
Many of the members met virtually on twitter, had worked on projects £1,899 together, formed a bond over Twitter and respected the diversity of our backgrounds. Twitter has caused many ideas to flourish and bloom and this was one of them.
We spent a little time getting to know each other via social media connecting on Twitter, Linked In and email. This allowed each member to determine that this group was the right fit. We launched our virtual, global group with the following vision and mission: to encourage excellence in projects, leadership and management and to inspire women to lead.
How is this group different from a normal network group?£2,099
We’re a global group of ten powerful women business leaders in the areas of projects, leadership and management. We recognize the challenges women face and agreed it’s our commitment to bring about awareness and change in our global community.
We want to grow to be a personal board of advisors and act as a collaborative of wisdom, knowledge and experience each member will tap into and share to reach our own personal goals. We will also encourage our core tenets by knowledge sharing, promoting active engagement and appreciating diversity.Enrol now
As a woman in project management have you experienced a ‘glass ceiling’?
Actually, quite the contrary; project managers are in high demand these days with the rebounding economy in many industries. Women have lot of choices for a career in project management . Opportunities are available for women to excel into top executive positions as Project Director, Program Manager, Project Management Office{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"EducationEvent","name":"MSP Practitioner (with Foundation) course","startDate":"2026-11-23","endDate":"2026-11-26","description":"MSP Practitioner (with Foundation) course","url":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/programme-management/programme-management-courses/msp-courses/msp-practitioner","eventStatus":"EventScheduled","eventAttendanceMode":"OnlineEventAttendanceMode","audience":{"@type":"Audience","name":"< (p>
Have you ever been discriminated against whilst working as a project manager because of your gender?
No, actually the opposite; equal opportunity is available for any qualified project management practitioner these days.MSP Practitioner course (Online)
Working in Information Technology as a female project manager can be challenging and requires a thick skin and different leadership style to work in a male dominated profession. Each project manager should find the right fit to their job to be successful; find the organization that will value your talents.
As the profession of project management has matured I have focused on putting together a plan to sit for the exam and get my credential as a Project Management Professional ( £1,299PMP ). There were four things I did early on that helped propel my leadership forward as a project manager: involvement with my local Enrol nowPMI chapter and chapter leadership, networking with a global group of project managers in communities of practice, managing more complex enterprise and state-wide projects, programs and stakeholders and development of a personal growth and development plan that included continued leadership training.
Do you think there is still gender inequality within project management? If so, please share your thoughts or experiences.
Actually, both women and men have had challenges in this tough economy finding suitable work. The economy is rebounding now so project management professionals are high in demand in many industries. Women are continuing to make their mark in the project management profession and have positively influenced the profession over the last two decades.
Today, women are leading projects worldwide as proven leaders, advocates for advancement of project management in their organizations, and are represented in many industries such as information technology, healthcare, aerospace, construction (bridges, buildings, highways) and as entrepreneurial consultants. Certainly, there are still industries such as oil and gas, engineering, financial services to name a few that may still be primarily male dominated; women will need strong leadership skills to be effective these environments.{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"EducationEvent","name":"MSP Practitioner course","startDate":"2026-11-25","endDate":"2026-11-26","description":"MSP Practitioner course","url":"","eventStatus":"EventScheduled","eventAttendanceMode":"OnlineEventAttendanceMode","audience":{"@type":"Audience","name":""},"aggregateRating":{"@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":"4.8","reviewCount":"227"},"location":{"@type":"VirtualLocation","url":""},"image":[""],"offers":{"@type":"Offer","url":"","price":"1299.00","priceCurrency":"GBP","availability":"http://schema.org/InStock","validFrom":"2026-10-26"},"performer":{"@type":"Person","name":"Susan Tuttle"},"organizer":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Knowledge Train","url":""}}
In our global economy, organizations are looking for project management experts, leaders of high performing teams and great communicators that can manage people, processes and politics; women have the soft skills to be top candidates for many of these great job opportunities.
In your opinion, what positive aspects would do women bring to project management?
Emotional intelligence, communication, relationship-building and soft skills are natural qualities women excel in. Based on the things I’ve read many of the qualities women possess are noted as the top qualities most leaders possess such as President, CIO, CEOs, COOs.14 Dec - 17 Dec
Women don’t need permission to lead; they need to step up, have a voice, sit at the table and find good sponsors to help guide them in their career path. There is no shortage of statistics and reports that indicate that inclusion of women on boards and in leadership roles improves an organizations’ bottom line.
Naomi CaiettiMSP Practitioner (with Foundation) course (Online) is the Founder and CEO of The Glass Breakers. Naomi Caietti is a project manager with 27+ years of public and private information technology ( IT £1,899) project leadership expertise.
Alexia Nalewaik£2,099
I am Alexia Nalewaik, Principal Consultant of QS Requin Corporation and a founding member of The GlassBreakers. My specialties are project performance review, risk managementEnrol now, and audit.
What advice do you have for women in project management?
The best piece of advice I ever received was from the corporate lawyer at my first company. One day, out of the blue, he said, “If you want to succeed, get as many letters after your name as you can”. At the time, I couldn’t begin to imagine where I would get a project management certification , or what I would get one in. Five years later, I received my first {"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"EducationEvent","name":"MSP Practitioner (with Foundation) course","startDate":"2026-12-14","endDate":"2026-12-17","description":"MSP Practitioner (with Foundation) course","url":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/programme-management/programme-management-courses/msp-courses/msp-practitioner","eventStatus":"EventScheduled","eventAttendanceMode":"OnlineEventAttendanceMode","audience":{"@type":"Audience","name":"
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How is The Glass Breakers different from other networking groups?
I love that I can reach out, at any time, to members of the group when I have a question. For example, I recently wanted to craft a news article, but did not know what news outlet might be interested in printing it. Within minutes, I had leads provided by members of the Glass Breakers network.16 Dec - 17 Dec
We share stories; it seems there is always an ear or two available to listen and, in doing so, we learn from each other. We definitely have a good laugh. The people in the network are diverse; there are many different aspects of project managementMSP Practitioner course (Online), so within our group there is a lot of advice available on a number of topics.
Do women need mentors or champions? £1,299
There is a big difference between mentors, champions, and role models. Everywhere, I see “mentoring” being implemented in companies and professional associations. Mentors can give advice, share their experiences, and be a good listener. But an article last year rang true for me, when it said that (at a certain point in their career) women don’t need mentors. They need champions. A champion is someone who has the ability to actively contribute to a woman’s advancement, to recommend a woman for promotion or recognition, instead of playing the more passive role of the mentor.
How can women raise their profiles in their roles and industry?Enrol now
Take a role in the professional institution of your choice. You’ll probably start on a committee, then work your way up. By doing this, you will add to your skillsets: you will network, gain management and leadership experience, become comfortable fixing problems, and learn to communicate well. I was fortunate that I held positions in student and “younger member” committees early in my career and gained such skills long before I needed them in professional practice.
Never stop learning. I ended up with a late-in-life PhD because I came across I problem I was passionate about and wanted to solve. The corollary is that you must share your knowledge. Don’t keep it to yourself, don’t hoard it. Give advice to others. Every question asked is a teaching opportunity. People will not just appreciate it; you will become known as a go-to person for your expertise and approachability.
Create your professional profile on LinkedIn, keep it up to date, and relentlessly self-promote. Ask for recommendations on LinkedIn, add links to articles or blogs you have written, and highlight awards.
Is there any industry sector more likely to be male dominated?
The majority of my work is on construction {"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"EducationEvent","name":"MSP Practitioner course","startDate":"2026-12-16","endDate":"2026-12-17","description":"MSP Practitioner course","url":"","eventStatus":"EventScheduled","eventAttendanceMode":"OnlineEventAttendanceMode","audience":{"@type":"Audience","name":""},"aggregateRating":{"@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":"4.8","reviewCount":"227"},"location":{"@type":"VirtualLocation","url":""},"image":[""],"offers":{"@type":"Offer","url":"","price":"1299.00","priceCurrency":"GBP","availability":"http://schema.org/InStock","validFrom":"2026-10-26"},"performer":{"@type":"Person","name":"Susan Tuttle"},"organizer":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Knowledge Train","url":""}}projects and mega-programs. It is definitely male-dominated. The keys to success, for me, have been continuous learning, knowledge, and experience. Rigorous documentation, and data, too. I am reminded of a life lesson from my parents: “People lie. Numbers don’t.” That has never failed me.
Women are making incredible strides in my field which is quantity surveying and 25 Jan - 28 Janproject controls . It just so happens that this year represents a historic and unprecedented convergence of female top leadership for our professional institutions.MSP Practitioner (with Foundation) course (Online)
Dr. Alexia Nalewaik is Principal Consultant of QS Requin Corporation. She is a project controls director and quantity surveyor with over 20 years of £2,099risk management , owner representation, and cost management experience.Enrol now