Women in Manufacturing: Why Inclusion Must Become the Industry’s Next Major Investment by Sue Arrowsmith

Women account for nearly half of the UK workforce, yet hold fewer than a third of roles in manufacturing and continue to earn 15% less than their male counterparts. Those numbers are stark, but they are also motivating a wave of action across the sector—action that was palpable at the recent Women in Manufacturing (WiM UK) event, where industry leaders, policymakers and researchers came together with a shared ambition: to build an inclusive, innovative and globally competitive manufacturing base.

For businesses like Midland Deburr & Finish in the West Midlands, a vibratory deburring and solvent and vapour metal degreasing firm in Lye, inclusion is should no longer be an abstract social goal. It is central to the health of the sector and the communities we serve. The Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy recognises this, with the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan setting a clear and ambitious target: 35% female representation by 2035. Targets alone can't deliver change, but they set expectations—and they signal commitment. From reading the follow up report, with WiM UK working closely with government and industry, the momentum behind that commitment is growing.

At the heart of this work is Dr Jennifer Castañeda Navarrete, Principal Policy Analyst at the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing and a founding member of WiM UK. She was clear that embedding equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into industrial policy is not just a moral imperative but an economic one. Diversity, she emphasised, fuels innovation. Teams with different perspectives generate stronger ideas, anticipate risks more effectively and build more resilient strategies—an essential edge as UK manufacturers compete globally and navigate tight labour markets.

Dr Castañeda Navarrete also underscored a point that resonates deeply in regions like ours: inclusion is a driver of regional economic growth. Manufacturing forms the backbone of many communities that have historically faced lower productivity and limited investment. When manufacturers in these areas adopt inclusive practices, they don’t just transform workplaces—they unlock local potential. They attract and retain talent that may otherwise have been overlooked. They create paths into skilled, secure work for people at all life stages and abilities. They strengthen regional competitiveness from the ground up.

Manufacturing, she said, is leading the way internationally. When WiM UK analysed nearly 70 national industrial strategies across the world, just 20% mentioned gender equality at all. Against that backdrop, the UK’s decision to embed diversity into the heart of its Industrial Strategy stands out as a meaningful and globally significant commitment. Through evidence gathering, advisory work and engagement with policymakers, WiM UK has played a direct role in shaping the government’s approach—from establishing the 35-by-35 target to influencing equality charters and industry engagement frameworks.

But if policy sets the direction, leadership determines the pace. WiM UK’s latest report focuses on Inclusive Leadership, and its findings hit home for manufacturers of all sizes. Leadership, not policy, is the primary driver of long-term EDI improvements. Without leaders who model fairness, communicate openly and value difference, inclusive practices rarely take root—no matter how strong the strategy looks on paper.

The report identifies five principles of inclusive leadership: fairness and trust, open communication, equitable career development, life-stage support, and a commitment to social impact. These aren’t abstract ideals. They translate into tangible actions—clear career pathways, flexible working options, wellbeing support, and leadership that listens. For disabled and neurodivergent employees in particular, flexibility emerged as a critical factor for staying in the sector. Many who left manufacturing altogether told researchers they did so because they felt undervalued or unseen.

As a woman working within a traditional engineering environment, I recognise those challenges. But I also recognise how far the sector has moved—and how determined so many leaders are to accelerate change. At Midland Deburr & Finish, we see how diversity enhances resilience and enriches the sector. When we support women and underrepresented groups into technical roles and leadership pathways, we strengthen our business. When we support employees going through menopause, living with long-term health conditions or juggling caregiving responsibilities, we build loyalty and capability. None of these steps are complicated, but they require intention.

There are promising signs across UK manufacturing: women’s participation in senior roles is rising, technical pathways are stabilising after a post-pandemic dip. The gender pay gap continues to narrow. These gains are fragile, however, they are real—and they reflect the power of sustained focus, clear targets and collaborative leadership.

The message from the WiM UK event seemsunequivocal. Inclusion is not an optional extra, nor is it a soft initiative to be delegated or deprioritised. It is a core lever of competitiveness, innovation and economic strength. For manufacturers across Britain—small family firms like ours as well as global primes—the question is no longer whether to act on EDI, but how quickly and how boldly.

If the sector embraces the challenge with the same determination shown at WiM UK, the 35-by-35 target will be more than achievable. It will be a milestone on the way to something even more important: a manufacturing industry that reflects the talent of the nation and leads the world not only in productivity, but in fairness, opportunity and vision.