Jo Stephenson: Women in Print & Packaging, "The Time for Change is Now"

When we talk about corporate responsibility (CSR) in print and packaging, where does gender diversity fit in?

When we think about CSR in the print industry, it's easy to put the focus solely on environmental sustainability, in areas such as carbon reduction, circularity and waste management. While these are crucial, we must remember that CSR also encompasses creating a fair and equitable work environment. Increasing gender diversity within these industries is a vital part of this broader responsibility, and while we're seeing incremental progress, we need to address this in a more meaningful way.

Could you outline the current state of gender diversity in print and packaging?

Women represent around half of the UK's total labour force, yet account for only about a quarter of workers in manufacturing sectors like packaging. This disparity becomes even more pronounced at senior levels and C-suite positions. Global statistics paint a sobering picture: only 34% of senior management positions worldwide are held by women, a figure that has barely moved in recent years.

In the UK specifically, only 22% of mid-market businesses have a female chief executive officer or managing director – a figure that has actually decreased from 30% in 2023. Even in Fortune 500 companies, often seen as an important bellwether for progress, only 10.4% are led by women. While this represents an encouraging increase from around 8% the previous year, it's clear we still have a long way to go.

Why is addressing this gender imbalance particularly crucial now?

This challenge becomes increasingly pressing as our industries face significant workforce challenges. Print and packaging are often considered 'legacy industries' where expertise is built up over decades. As experienced professionals retire, we're seeing valuable knowledge leave without a consistent pipeline of new talent.

Addressing gender diversity isn't just about equality – it's about securing our industry’s future by accessing the widest possible talent pool. This imbalance isn't just a matter of fairness – it's a missed opportunity. Diverse teams bring varied perspectives, drive innovation, and have been shown to improve business performance in studies from organisations like McKinsey.

What are the main barriers preventing women from entering these industries?

One of the first walls to knock down is the overall perception of the print and packaging industry itself. Sadly, it is often still seen as an old fashioned, traditional, and male-dominated sector, which affects recruitment in general. While those of us in the industry know it's dynamic and innovative, this isn't always clearly communicated. We need to showcase the exciting, technology-driven nature of today's print and packaging sectors to young people considering their career paths, particularly girls. This starts with education. We'd love to see more printers, packaging suppliers, and supply chain partners engaging proactively with schools and academies through open days, talks, or similar events. The UK initiative, Young People in Print, has done a great job of supporting businesses to open their doors as the talent issue is increasingly recognised as a burning platform for the industry.

How can print companies actively work to attract more women to the industry?

Every business in the printing and packaging supply chain has a part to play. We're proud to support initiatives that bring packaging into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) conversations. By highlighting the technology and problem-solving skills involved in our industry, we can attract more diverse talent, even as we compete for attention with some of the more 'glamorous' fields, such as finance, aerospace, and IT.

It's also crucial to increase the visibility of women already succeeding in print and packaging – as the adage goes, you can't be what you can't see.

In response, we must amplify the voices and stories of women at all levels of our industry, from the machine shop floor to the boardroom. As we look to uplift and highlight successful and talented women, it's important to show the diverse roles women play throughout the full supply chain, because that’s another area I don’t feel gets enough focus. Whether it's engineers developing customised press solutions, technicians ensuring quality control, or managers driving sustainability initiatives.

There are countless inspiring stories to share, so let’s tell them.

What steps should businesses take to retain and develop female talent?

Attracting women is only half the battle – we need to create environments where they can thrive and advance. This means taking a hard look at our workplace cultures, applying a critical eye, and openly addressing any unconscious biases or barriers to progression.

A critical part of this is dismantling the outdated notion that women need to choose between a successful career and family life. Print and packaging businesses can tackle this with robust family-friendly policies that benefit all employees – think flexible working hours, parental leave, return-to-work programmes, and childcare support. These shouldn't just exist on paper but be actively encouraged and normalised within the company culture benefiting all employees. We've seen fantastic examples of women in senior positions who have successfully balanced family commitments with career progression, but this needs to become the norm rather than the exception.

To truly advance women in print and packaging, we need to invest in their professional growth. This means providing mentorship opportunities, leadership training, and creating clear pathways for career progression. We should be seeking to create robust development programmes specifically tailored to support women's advancement. By nurturing talent at all levels, we can build a strong pipeline of female leaders for the future and, in doing so, build stronger and more resilient print and packaging sectors.

How important is industry-wide collaboration in achieving these goals?

No single company can solve this challenge alone. We need the entire supply chain to work with industry associations, educational institutions, the recruitment industry, and government to drive meaningful change. This could involve joint initiatives to promote print and packaging careers to young women, sharing best practices for inclusive hiring and retention, or collaborating on cross-company mentorship programmes. By pooling our resources and expertise, we can accelerate progress.

What's your vision for the future of women in print and packaging?

The print and packaging industries of tomorrow should reflect the full spectrum of talent available to us today. It's not just about meeting quotas or ticking boxes – it's about creating richer, more dynamic industries that can meet future challenges head-on. By embracing gender diversity, we're not just doing what's right and addressing an imbalance – we're ensuring the long-term success, relevance and resilience of the print and packaging sector. The time for change is now.