International Women’s Day has been celebrated in style by Bewley Homes, a property development company whose staff is made up of nearly 50 per cent females.
Women at Bewley’s Baughurst headquarters wore purple to mark the occasion, while a thank you gift of sweets were given to each of the female staff by management.
International Women’s Day has been celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of females the world over since 1911. The theme of this year’s event is #BalanceforBetter, aiming for an improved gender balance in the workplace.
Bewley Homes’ HR Manager Helen Van Eeden said: “For a traditionally male-dominated industry, it’s fantastic that our staff mix is almost equal, at 70 male employees and 54 female. Because of this, it was really important for us to recognise International Women’s Day in the office on Friday and show our gratitude to our female staff.”
Helen added that, having already had a female apprentice complete a successful two-year placement, Bewley will be actively seeking more women to take on such roles in the future. “We plan to promote our apprenticeships at school and college careers’ fairs, and show women what is on offer in our industry,” she said.
Bewley Homes’ Sales & Marketing Director Elaine Stratford said: “Having worked in the industry for what is now 34 years from a very junior position all the way to Sales & Marketing Director, I am always very encouraged by this industry. The reason being, women have a number of opportunities in a variety of areas within our business where they can work their way through to high positions if they wish to have them. This is often based on their skills and energy not always on qualifications.”
Founded in 1991, independent developer Bewley Homes has sites across Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey.