International Women's Day 2023 - Charles Miéville
To celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) 2023, Forsters is delighted to be releasing a series of Q&As with some of our partners and employees who go above and beyond to champion equity across our business.
We hope they will provide an insight into what drives those individuals who are really pushing the equity agenda forward.
Charles Miéville is a Partner in our Residential Property team and Joint Head of EDI at Forsters. Charles shares how his experience as a gay man led to his desire to be more involved in EDI efforts at Forsters, including supporting gender equality. Read more from Charles below:
1. How does this year’s theme of Embrace Equity resonate with you?
As a gay man, I can relate to the need for equality across all minority groups. That led to my desire to be more involved in the firm’s EDI efforts and I now head up EDI with my colleague Amy France.
People sometimes say that we don’t need any such initiatives, or that they on a personal level have “no issues” with minority groups. This misses the fact that they are often speaking from a position of privilege and are unaware of the prejudice and differing treatment minority groups often still experience. I recently attended a talk from a male transgender lawyer. It was fascinating to hear his experience of meetings as a man, compared to as a woman, and how even in the UK today he suddenly found he had a voice as a man in a professional environment where previously as a woman no one listened to his opinions. As there is severe injustice in the world at large in this regard, our need to campaign and support minority groups is not over and is ever more important.
2. Have you ever experienced being treated inequitably in your career? If so, how did you move forward from it?
I am lucky that I have not experienced inequitable treatment myself, but my experience of those who have has made me even more grateful and determined to work to eradicate inequality.
3. Tell us about your most inspiring female role models (whether at Forsters, clients, or beyond).
Any of the female partners who have risen to the top of their careers, whilst managing to raise a family. Historically (and not at Forsters) I have heard mention of women “stepping off the career ladder” to raise a family – this must always have been a concern for women raising families, the attitudes of fellow workers, and the often-heard sentiment that women returning to work would not necessarily be “as committed” to their jobs. I am pleased that the tide is turning (and in many organisations has turned) in this regard – you only have to look at all the wonderful women we have who are running our firm (and my department) – I would struggle to pick anyone in particular out for this!
4. What has been the highlight of your career?
Being taken on as a partner at Forsters (I wasn’t paid to say that!). I think that it can take time to find one’s natural calling, I have had a journey through commercial property into residential, and slowly and surely have found my footing.
5. What is the best advice you have been given?
This wasn’t advice, more of my own approach to life, which is follow your heart. Although I spent many happy years at a Magic Circle firm and worked on some amazing transactions with incredible people, my heart was not in it. I took a gamble on switching to the residential world (as well as an initial large pay cut!). I now really love coming into work, and the division between work/home life is more blurred, which I take as a sign that I love what I do. Without being big headed, that has led to my success in what I do now (and a little more money has followed). Health, family and happiness are the most important things we have. We only have one chance at life, so live it, don’t endure it!
6. What did you dream of doing when you were a child?
Being a lawyer – be careful what you wish for!
7. Do you think of embracing equity at work, and pushing forward the equity agenda, falls equally on both genders? If not, what impact do you think this has on women?
Definitely both – like any minority group, it is important to feel support from those not part of it, as much as needing to push the agenda themselves.