Persimmon Suffolk has joined the International Women’s Day pledge to ‘Break The Bias’ by celebrating the contribution played by its female staff.

The regional business currently employs 35 women, either based in its Great Blakenham headquarters or out on developments across the region.

Managing director Ian Hamilton said: “Persimmon are proud to have women working at all levels in the business – from building sites to boardrooms.

“Here in Suffolk, we recognise the vital contribution our female colleagues make to the success of our business and hope to encourage many more women to consider careers in construction.

“To mark our appreciation, sales director Lucy Woodhall – herself someone who has risen through the ranks from trainee – arranged for every woman in the Suffolk business to receive an empowering and inspirational personal message from one of their colleagues.”

Persimmon this week marked International Women’s Day by launching its Target 50 initiative.

Target 50 sets an ambition for Persimmon to recruit 50 female apprentices or technical trainees into construction-related roles across Great Britain this year. The initiative forms part of Persimmon’s 50^th anniversary celebrations and supports its commitment to building and retaining a more diverse workforce.

Visit  www.persimmonhomes.com/target-50 for more information.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Break The Bias’, calling on everyone to challenge unconscious bias or gender stereotyping.

Traditionally, women have been underrepresented in construction roles but Persimmon, along with trade bodies such as the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and the National House Building Council (NHBC), are working to create recruitment and training pathways to address the shortfall.