Manufacturing Is Behind Other Sectors in Diversity, and It’s Hurting Innovation

In October 2020, Sandvik Coromant’s first female president, Nadine Crauwels, was inducted into the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame, which recognizes women who have made exceptional contributions to the industry. Commending the achievements of women in manufacturing is vital to promoting gender diversity. However, industry-wide, just one in three manufacturing professionals are women. Why is gender diversity important and how can manufacturing companies foster a culture of inclusion? The arrival of Industry 4.0, which uses smart technology to facilitate the automation and digitalisation of traditional manufacturing processes, has helped increase female participation. Yet manufacturing is still behind other sectors in gender diversity. According to a 2020 McKinsey report, in corporate America, women hold just 33% of entry-level roles in the engineering and industrial manufacturing sectors, and just 16% of corporate positions.