Ahead of International Women’s Day, Victoria Brocklesby, COO of previous The Manufacturer MX Awards winner, Origin, shares her thoughts on why the day is so important.
VB: Women represent one of the largest untapped talent pools, not just in manufacturing but also in engineering and construction.
I believe that education and empowering women in these sectors will be critical to the future of these industries, enabling a culture that improves their ability to innovate and grow.
As women, we should have the confidence to embrace who we are and define and achieve our goals and aspirations – the future of these industries will depend on gender diversity and inclusion. That is why I believe International Women’s Day remains important as it acts as a marker to compare progress.
Inclusion, to me, starts with visibility. When we see individuals who resemble us in specific roles, it provides reassurance and motivation, signalling that we too can be in that role or accomplish that success. This sense of achievability is crucial for supporting and encouraging more women to join the workforce.
It’s about cultivating a working environment where diversity and inclusivity thrive, welcoming individuals based on their skills and expertise, not their gender.
Inspiring inclusion is also about questioning spaces where women aren’t present, and unashamedly asking why not. In order to cultivate industries where women feel a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment – we should be calling out poor practice and out-dated stereotypes.
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