Each year, International Women’s Day in March is a great opportunity to reflect on how industries are addressing gender bias. The print and packaging sector, which covers many different areas of STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is certainly no exception in having gender diversity challenges. It’s a legacy industry with a long history and has traditionally been male dominated, particularly at executive level and above.
Like many technology and engineering fields, the lack of gender diversity in the industry can often be traced back to education and the relatively low number of girls encouraged into STEM fields in the UK. For example, females make up just 11% of engineers, which is the lowest rate in Europe. A similar problem is seen in training and development positions – less than 8% of engineering and manufacturing apprentices in the UK are female. In the construction sector, that figure is estimated to be as low as 2%.
However, the world we operate in is shifting and evolving – and opening up more opportunities than ever before to put females in the spotlight.
At OPM Group, we are extremely proud to champion the role of women in the print, packaging and label sectors. We believe there is enormous value in having different viewpoints and working styles, and we see real strength in diversity at every level of the business.
It’s clear that the gender balance in print and packaging is changing, but can we speed up this evolution? How can the print and packaging sector – our own business included – build a stronger, clearer and more accessible career path for women?
Create visible champions
Representation matters! Putting the spotlight on female leaders in the print and packaging sector isn’t just important for the businesses they drive, but for the long-term success of the industry. Naturally, we look to find people in successful positions that remind us of ourselves.
Print and packaging, typically, isn’t an industry that often shouts about its achievements and accomplishments. Isn’t it time we changed that? By highlighting more of the many successful women making real waves in the industry, we naturally connect more with the next generation of girls looking for a long-term career.
Support education and open up dialogue
It would be fantastic to see more businesses in the packaging supply chain connecting with schools and academies, to really drive home the message that packaging is an exciting, diverse and creative industry – and is accessible for everyone.
It’s about showing a clear path for girls that perhaps otherwise would not be considering the industry as a viable career. As we know, the number of girls taking scientific subjects at traditional mixed-sex schools is relatively low as established gender norms still play a role. However, the Institute of Physics found that all-female schools were, on average, seeing four times as many girls taking up these subjects at A-Level.
Talks, seminars and career days that connect with the next generation of female leaders are a great way to open up the industry to a wider demographic and show that there is a real place for women in today’s print and packaging businesses.
Set clear development paths
Finally, it’s essential that every business is creating a clear upward path for development. While this is of course a key driver for every employee, it sends a particularly important message to women in an industry where they are still in the minority.
In tandem with creating greater visibility for female leaders, a strong internal path of development allows team members to grow and flourish into more senior roles, which would most often be filled with external individuals.
To summarise, the packaging industry is beginning to redress the gender balance, but as companies and individuals along the supply chain, there is always more we can do to create a fairer, more equitable and more accessible sector.
At OPM Group, as part of the print, label and packaging sectors, we have a responsibility, like our counterparts, to encourage more female employees into the industry. This is a responsibility we are proud to take on, and we look forward to continuing our vital role in making this a reality.
