Stereotypes about procurement being unsuitable for women have created a “barrier which prevents women from applying” for roles, according to a procurement manager.
Sara Jones, procurement and social value manager for development agency Ambition North Wales, told Supply Management there was a lack of opportunities for women in the profession.
“I believe there are so few women in procurement because of the lack of opportunities to enter the sector and understanding of a procurement industry in general,” she said.
“Before I joined a career in procurement, I had no idea what it meant. On paper it looked so monotonous, process-driven and not something I would even consider, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Procurement is one of the most exciting and interesting areas I’ve ever worked in.”
Getting into procurement however, was difficult. Historically there were many stereotypes that a procurement role was not suitable for women, due to the skills needed such as hard negotiation, and long hours which often were perceived not to fit into the work life balance of females in the sector. This perception often creates a barrier which prevents women from applying for such roles, and or being successful in obtaining them. Although this isn’t the case for me, I am aware of some women in the field, whose salary is less than their male counterparts.
Speaking against the background of International Women’s Day, Jones described how she has had to overcome many barriers to progress in her career.
“Getting into procurement however, was difficult. Historically there were many stereotypes that a procurement role was not suitable for women, due to the skills needed such as hard negotiation, and long hours which often were perceived not to fit into the work-life balance of females in the sector,” she said.
“This perception often creates a barrier which prevents women from applying for such roles, and or being successful in obtaining them. Although this isn’t the case for me, I am aware of some women in the field whose salary is less than their male counterparts.
“Many women want to have a long-term career in procurement and with the ever-changing scenery, innovation, regulation and social value it’s a way to constantly self-develop and learn and procurement is a career that offers this opportunity to develop and learn constantly as well as share skills and experience.”
Jones added: “Women have a number of traits which make them suitable and capable in a procurement role such as: creative thinking, communication and collaboration. Traditionally procurement was seen as compliance enforcement, whereas now it’s much more of a partnership between stakeholders.”
Jones advised companies looking to attract more women to procurement to be transparent on salary and educate employees equitably on opportunities within their organisation.
Meanwhile, Marija Rompani, director of sustainability and ethics at the John Lewis Partnership, has spoken of the importance of promoting equality for women in supply chains.
“There remains an issue with transparency in supply chains and one of the biggest challenges to businesses like ours is identifying the most salient issues,” she told Drapers.
“Standard factory auditing only gives a snapshot of working conditions at a moment in time. And it may not show the difference in experience between men and women, meaning discrimination is hidden.”
Rompani cited figures from the European Commission in 2018 showing that more than 75% of the 150 million people who work in the garment industry worldwide are women.
“Suppliers, retailers and the wider industry do need to recognise that women – who make up the majority of our workforce – are still being underserved by our industry. Consumers are increasingly asking questions about the conditions in which their clothes are made, and we need to be ready to answer them,” she said.
“While gender inequality is only one of the areas we need to tackle to create a safer, fairer, more sustainable garment industry, I believe that by changing the status quo for women, we can make a significant step towards a more positive culture.”
A study by Sedex of women in the agriculture supply chain has found they make up 43% of the workforce but just 31% of supervisor roles and 21% of management positions. Additionally, only 38% received promotions in 2020-21.
Sedex recommends businesses gather in-depth gender-disaggregated data across several critical indicators, which will enable companies to identify female workers in their supply chains, the different risks they are exposed to, and understand their situations at work. Businesses can then make informed decisions about where to focus support for women and the wider workforce.
Jessica McGoverne, director of policy and corporate affairs at Sedex, said: “Gathering gender-disaggregated data and assessing risk is crucial for protecting workers and improving gender equality.
“These activities are more crucial than ever, as businesses face growing pressure from investors, consumers and governments to operate more responsibly and sustainably.”
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