ABSTRACT
The whole ethos of the surveying profession and many of the professional decisions in all the divisions affect women as consumers of the built environment. In particular, the commercial ‘perspective’ which predominates in both the general practice and quantity surveying divisions may overshadow a wider outlook, the decisions as to the viability of many land use and development proposals being based, of necessity, on financial considerations alone. Surveying firms come in two main types. First, there are the large prestigious practices, mainly located in London, which may have as many as fifty to a hundred full partners and a vast pool of associate partners below that, and then below that again numerous young surveyors. Although increasingly large numbers of young women surveyors have been entering the private sector, many women are still found in the public sector. Opportunities abound for younger women surveyors, but it is less so for older women as the pyramid narrows.
