In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD), which takes place today, the estate agency division of LSL Property Services plc (LSL) will be hosting internal events to shine a light on the achievements of female colleagues and, at the same time, raise awareness about the importance of gender equality.

Agents working for LSL are being invited to listen to either round table sessions, or a panel discussion, to hear more about the personal career journeys of some of their female counterparts and to also pose questions to those working in more senior roles in the business.

IWD is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and will include a call to action for accelerating gender parity. With the theme of this year’s IWD being ‘Choose to Challenge’ the hope is that collectively women across the business will start to consider, by listening to others, how they can contribute to creating a more inclusive world.

Helen Buck, executive director for estate agency at LSL, commented: “This is the first time we’ve actively supported International Women’s Day within the estate agency division but feel that, particularly now, it’s very important to acknowledge and celebrate the huge contribution that women make to business and society as a whole.

“Global statistics show that many women have been disproportionally affected by the current crisis, with one in four considering downshifting or leaving the workforce as a result. We hope that our events will help raise awareness of this and encourage our colleagues to consider gender inequality and how they might challenge this.”

Louise Hudson, Marketing Director for LSL Estate Agency, who is taking part in the round table sessions, added: “Our industry is perceived as quite male dominated and yet over 50% of the workforce at LSL are women. I think it is entirely fitting to take this day to stop and listen to what some of the women in our business have to say about their careers and experiences, made all the more inspiring knowing that we are doing this simultaneously with many others across the world who are also pausing to celebrate women’s contributions and achievements. If anyone who participates today – irrespective of gender – feels a sense of pride in what women contribute to LSL, then we will have done a good job.”