Minister for Women and Equalities meets females working on London’s super sewer

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Minister for Women and Equalities, Amber Rudd, visited Tideway’s Blackfriars site to meet some of the females working on London’s super sewer.

Her visit yesterday coincided with an announcement that the number of women in employment is at its highest since records began.

Tideway has committed to gender equality within the lifetime of the project and works closely with the organisation Women into Construction (WiC) to increase the number of women on the construction workforce.

Ms Rudd said: “It’s been fantastic to meet the female engineers and apprentices at Tideway today and hear first-hand how they have felt empowered to succeed in the sector, working on such a vital project for London’s sustainable future.

“Women are once again breaking barriers in work, with record female employment and with the support of organisations like Women in Construction we’ve seen 58,000 more women in construction roles in the last 9 years.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise to see women on a building site or on the board of directors, it’s great to see Tideway has both.”

Julie Thornton, Tideway’s HR Director, said: “We are hugely proud of our diverse team at Tideway and will continue to work towards gender parity in the industry, to make a positive impact during our construction and beyond.

We have found working with organisations such as Women into Construction an invaluable way for the Tideway project team, our Main Works Contractors and the supply chain to build a more diverse workforce. Through events showcasing opportunities for work placements, apprenticeships and jobs, women have had the opportunity to learn from inspiring role models and to gain experience on one of London’s biggest infrastructure projects.”