Happy International Women’s Day from Spring GDS!

Logistics is a typically male-dominated industry, with a global average of 35% of graduate female employees and 41% of female employees in the supply chain workforce overall.

What concrete actions can our industry take to ensure successful and happy careers for women? Read below for our learnings on what all related organisations can do to make meaningful changes towards gender equality.

What are the barriers to women in the logistics industry?

In their review of How Women Experience the Logistics Industry, recruitment company Crooton identified that the largest barrier to women enjoying careers in logistics is the make-up of leadership. The people trying to improve conditions for women are likely to be men; it’s essential that women’s voices are heard and that leaders make the changes which female employees actually want.

As a very encouraging sign, this study nonetheless concluded that overwhelmingly women in logistics feel very positive about the industry as well as respected and supported by male colleagues:

Far from feeling isolated, women in the logistics sector almost universally praise their workplace’s support, teamwork, and camaraderie.

Concrete actions the logistic industry can take to support women’s careers

Recommended steps towards gender equality include:

• Ensuring that equipment and PPE is available that suits women’s different physical needs.
• Engaging in outreach aimed at women.
• Focusing on women with related skills.
• Addressing the gender pay gap, especially in senior roles and on boards.
• Working with gender-inclusive partners.
• Marketing to women and under-represented groups.

Wishing all our colleagues a happy International Women’s Day all-year round!