West Midlands Fire Service held a networking event to promote gender equality in the organisation and show the increasing contribution made by its female employees.

The event in Birmingham featured a number of speakers and workshops designed to encourage women's personal and professional development and to raise awareness of their promotion opportunities within the fire service.

David Johnson, West Midlands Fire Service's head of HR, said: "We are committed to making equality a fundamental and real part of everything we do.
 
"When it comes to gender equality, we are still working hard to move forward from a very male-dominated environment. But it is not about recruiting people to tick boxes or meet quotas, it is about recruiting the right people and making sure they have opportunities to develop themselves and their careers.
 
"That way we can ensure that we truly reflect the communities we serve and provide them with the best possible service.
 
"The women's networking event was the first of its kind for West Midlands Fire Service and an important day for us. It provided real opportunities for our female employees to get together to share ideas and experiences while hearing from inspirational speakers who have overcome barriers to achieve success."

The organisation has already received positive feedback from the event and hopes to run something similar next year.