Rebecca Bassan-Jheeta is an Architect and Associate Director, based in the Corstorphine & Wright Warwick studio. She has been a fierce champion on postitive mental wellbeing with the Practice and is part of the team of Mental Health First Aiders.
For International Women’s Day, she has contributed this blog on her thoughts around mental health and women in the workplace.
“As a Sikh, South Asian woman born in the United Kingdom, I have seen many disparities within the community on how women are treated differently purely on the basis of their gender. Growing up amongst this mindset can be extremely challenging and deviating away from expectations can be difficult.
Women’s mental health is important both inside and outside of the workplace and so it is essential that we have open conversations about mental health, gender bias, race and equality to create an open environment for everyone. There is often a gender bias in how certain mental health conditions are developed, how they present themselves and how they are treated and this can have a negative effect on organisations. Women often face additional pressures such as maternal health and menopause and these issues can often be overlooked.
Within gender diverse organisations, it’s imperative that we know how to support our colleagues, not only for the benefit of individual employees but for the organisation overall. It is therefore important that equity is at the forefront of our organisation. The culture we create is important to ensure that no matter what race or gender we are, we have the right help available when needed. Open conversations are essential for us to ensure we create an open environment for everyone. “
