British Gypsum and Isover, part of Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions, have announced that they are celebrating the women who are making an impact in the construction sector to mark International Women’s Day.
This year’s International Women’s Day is set to take place on 8 March and the theme is ‘Accelerate Action’, which aims to focus on driving progress for gender equality.
Katie Anderson is performance manager at British Gypsum East Leake Works, which produces bagged plaster and plasterboard. She is encouraging other women to consider construction manufacturing as a fulfilling career.
She said: “We have got a lot more women coming through which is great. It will take a while to change but I definitely see positive movement in that regard.
“British Gypsum has really helped me with my training. So even if you don’t have the skills initially, they can help you to develop those skills.
“Sometimes it can take a bit more time to build up a rapport or respect with people, it’s important to get to know people as individuals and learn to communicate with them in the most appropriate way.”
Last year, Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions supported the launch of I am a Housebuilder. Founded by a cross-parliamentary group, it aims to grow the number of women working in the housebuilding industry. It is fronted by seven women who hold prominent roles in construction, dubbed the Magnificent 7. One of them is Xuan Meng, CEO of Cozy Haus.
Xuan added: “It took me a lot of effort and mental determination to plunge myself into building Cozy Haus because it is something I’ve never done. I thought to myself, if I could make this a success, it could give me the flexibility to be my own boss and also the flexibility to look after my daughter and the financial stability I wanted for my family. This was my chance, I took it, and I think that it was the best decision I ever made.”
“I think that 60% of our staff members are female and a lot of them are single mums. I believe that, because you are a mum, you have more reasons to work hard not only because you have to provide financially but also because you have to lead by example.”
As part of their mentoring programme, each of the Magnificent 7 will give one-to-one mentoring to women taking their first steps into the housebuilding sector. Georgina Hammond, co-founder of Beau Property, is mentoring 21-year-old graduate Abbi Bird.
Georgina said: “I really want to help her to navigate her career, to grow within her next role and be able to set goals for what her career is going to look like. I hope that she achieves becoming an MD of a PLC housebuilder because I know that she’s got it in her. She’s incredibly determined, she’s so enthusiastic, and she loves building houses. She’s incredibly technically minded.
“It is so amazing and encouraging that people from that next generation have the enthusiasm and want to get into this industry because they feel so passionately about it and love it. So, I think from Abbi’s perspective, the sky is the limit and she can achieve anything.
“Women need this support in an industry that is male dominated. I think that if we had this conversation again in ten years’ time, that would look very different. But while we go through that transition period, there needs to be role models and support for women that are making the move to enter this industry, to help them thrive.”
Rachel Kelly, head of brand for British Gypsum and Isover, added: “We are proud to support International Women’s Day and are accelerating our efforts to bring talented women into our workforce.
“Women remain underrepresented in construction, facing barriers such as gender bias, lack of career visibility, and limited opportunities for progression. We are committed to addressing these challenges by amplifying female voices, promoting inclusivity and providing pathways for women to thrive in the sector.”
