Press Release: Nearly Three Quarters of Women in Procurement and Supply Chain Experience Some Form of Gender-Based Adversity
New research from Procurious reveals few organisations are doing enough – or anything at all – to address gender bias in the workplace.
MELBOURNE – February 22, 2023 – Procurious, the world’s leading online business network for supply chain and procurement professionals, today announced the launch of its latest research, Women in Procurement and Supply Chain: Against The Odds, which revealed gender-based adversity is pervasive, affecting 74% of women surveyed.
When it came to the specific forms of gender-based adversity women experience in the workplace, respondents cited men taking credit for their work or ideas, learning they’re paid less than their male counterparts, feeling disadvantaged in the workplace because of their gender, being asked to perform administrative work outside of their role – more so than their male counterparts – and struggling to “get air time” in virtual meetings.
“Women endure innumerable microaggressions and challenges daily,” said Tania Seary, founding chairman and CEO of Procurious. “Although women are making gains in the workforce and forward-thinking organisations are investing in and protecting their female employees, significant challenges remain. Put bluntly: There’s a lot of talk but not enough action or results. Our research found that only 16% of women have seen their organisations make tangible progress towards addressing gender bias this year. We need to work together to lift up, empower and protect women in the workforce and drive real change.”
The research, conducted by Procurious’ BRAVO Leadership Program, is based on global survey data of over 170 women and is designed to understand the prevalence and impact of gender bias in the procurement workforce and the investments companies are making to drive change.
Key findings include:
- 23% of respondents said women make up 40-50% of their procurement leadership team, but just 15% see this composition of women in the C-suite or Board of Directors.
- Just 14% of companies have strategies in place to protect and promote women in supply chain and procurement. 16% are working on implementing them, but 70% either have no strategies in place or they are so ineffective that they go unnoticed.
- 63% of women indicated they are pulling double and even triple duty at home, being primarily responsible for one or more forms of domestic work.
The survey revealed most companies appear to be doing little to nothing at all to address gender bias in the workplace. When asked about the top resources and initiatives that women want their companies to invest in to help empower them and tackle gender inequality in the workforce, closing the gender pay gap (49%), mentoring (47%) and leadership training (45%) topped the list. With job stresses at an all-time high and companies struggling to retain or recruit top talent, procurement and supply chain leaders that continue to fail to empower and protect the women in their workforce risk losing even more talent.
To discover more findings, download the full report – Women in Procurement and Supply Chain: Against The Odds.
To learn more about how you can drive real change in your organisation by investing in, protecting and lifting up women in the workforce, check out the BRAVO program.
About BRAVO
Procurious’ BRAVO program offers women in procurement, as well as their organisations, the opportunity to empower themselves to collaborate and create a culture of belonging – a supportive environment that fosters fairness and inclusion where everybody can thrive.
Mentoring programs, masterclasses, networking opportunities, and world-class speakers will help you and your organisation chart a path forward as you look to combat the injustices presented by workplace gender biases.
Registration for BRAVO 2023 is now open. For more information on the program and to sign up, please visit: https://www.bravowomeninprocurement.com/.
About Procurious
Procurious is an online business network for a new generation of procurement and supply chain professionals. With 40,000 members in 145+ countries, we’re the only group that encourages members to take control of their careers through networking, learning, events and collaborative discussions—all in one place.
To learn more or become a member, visit us at Procurious.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
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Media Contact:
Emma Nadeau
Corporate Ink for Procurious
