Today (21 April) is International Day of Women in Industry, observed every year to celebrate women’s leadership in industrial development. Organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) it celebrates the contributions of women and promotes a more inclusive and equitable future worldwide. Lucy Smith, Co-director of the Foundation Industries Sustainability Consortium (FISC) and Founder/Co-director of Foundation Industries Ventures (FIVe) explains.
Women play a vital role in industry and manufacturing and are essential to achieving sustainable development and transforming industry. But it’s not the fact they are women, it’s the role they play within teams alongside men and non-binary individuals. Diversity in all it’s forms from ethnicity and cultural background to physical abilities and diversity of thought create positive work environments. They drive better product development and facilitate the thinking needed for sustainable industrial transformation.
Despite making up 48% of the total UK workforce, women only account for 28.4% of the manufacturing workforce. Within the foundational industries (FIs) of glass, cement, ceramic, metal, paper and chemicals where I’ve spent my career this drops to 25%. Women in senior manufacturing roles accounted for only 24.8% of the workforce in 2024 and in the FIs, 59% of businesses have no female partners or owners.
Lucy Smith, Co-director of the Foundation Industries Sustainability Consortium (FISC) and Founder/Co-director of Foundation Industries Ventures (FIVe)
Despite making up This is despite the positive impact women have in business. Studies show companies with higher gender diversity significantly outperform their peers in productivity and innovation. Female-led businesses typically outperform male-led counterparts (£10.4m average revenue compared to £6.1m). But they receive a fraction of investment, with only two per cent of equity investment going to all-female teams, something the government’s Invest in Women Taskforce is committed to changing.
So why if it’s proven that women make such significant contributions to the workplace do we struggle to recruit and retain roles in manufacturing and the FIs? The reasons are many and too great to write about here, everything from the traditional male-dominated culture of many industries, the lack of female role-models and advocates to the lack of flexibility. Lack of career progression and pay (the gender pay gap is around 15.9%) often come out as the main reasons, that despite women having more enthusiasm for their FI careers than men.
This is something I discussed with colleagues last week and this is what my fellow co-founder and director at FISC, Sarah Harrold said: “As a woman in industry, imminently due to welcome my first child, I’ve become acutely aware of the competing pressures and deeply embedded societal assumptions around what it means to be a ‘working mum’. Even in 2026, there remains an unspoken question about commitment, capability and longevity with motherhood.
“I’ve dedicated my career to transforming the materials and manufacturing industries, sectors that are foundational to the net zero transition but historically slow to change. I’m driven by the belief that transformation doesn’t happen through technology alone. It requires different perspectives, leadership styles and lived experiences being brought into decision-making.
“I’m also one half of an engineering household. My husband works in Formula One, a sector synonymous with innovation and performance, but also one that is still in the early stages of inclusive reform. Women make up only around ten per cent of women in motorsport with engineering and mechanic roles dropping to around five per cent, and the culture has long been shaped around inflexible work patterns and a narrow definition of commitment.
“Approaching this new phase of life, I do so with genuine trepidation. I’ve seen the data. There are career penalties associated with maternity leave – the impact of caring responsibilities on progression, and the attrition of women from technical and leadership roles at precisely the point when experience and insight are at their peak. I worry about whether two industrial careers, in two demanding sectors, can realistically coexist with parenthood.
“What has surprised and encouraged me most has been the support shown by both of our organisations. Through shared parental leave and flexibility, we’re built a plan to split parenting responsibilities to establish a new normal, where we can be present parents and committed professionals. This isn’t just good for families, it’s essential for retaining talent in industry. There’s still stigma or surprise, but the narrative is slowly shifting away from ‘either/or’ towards ‘both/and’.
I worry about whether two industrial careers, in two demanding sectors, can realistically coexist with parenthood.
Sarah Harrold, Co-founder and Director, FISC
I’m one half of an engineering household, but I’ve seen the data. There are career penalties associated with maternity leave – the impact of caring responsibilities on progression, and the attrition of women from technical and leadership roles at precisely the point when experience and insight are at their peak.“Women are essential to industrial transformation because real change demands systems thinking, long-term vision and resilience. Qualities honed through navigating complex, often contradictory expectations. By building industries that work for women at all life stages, we build industries that are more adaptable, sustainable, and human-centred. I’m excited to continue to play my part, not just in transforming how we make materials, but in shaping an industrial future my son can be proud of.”
The reason behind the rise in the number of women starting or co-founding new businesses is often driven by the need for flexibility, particularly parents and those with caring responsibilities. It’s something Valerie Findlay knows well after co-founding Pure Alchemi with her husband three-years-ago. The Earthshot Prize nominated start-up has built technology capable of recovering and separating critical raw materials from industrial waste.
Valerie said: “We founded our company with a newborn, and we both share parenting and work equally and have done since the start, we do it together. Working for ourselves we can set our own schedule and are open with everyone about our family, it allows us to be nimble.
“People have asked us ‘where are the kids’ when we both attend an event, and we’ve faced barriers from investors and others doubting married couple founders. But we have shared goals in life, complimentary strengths and commitment, having been together for years, we know we can work well together with straight talking and that gives investors’ confidence.
“Since lockdown people are definitely more aware of family or home life, but we still need to ask men more about their family. Gloria Steinem said: “women are not going to be equal outside the home until men are equal in it” and she was right. It doesn’t matter if you have children or not, men and women bring different skills and perspective to work and home life and have a lot to offer in both roles.”
Alongside Sarah and Valerie’s views it’s also important to recognise another perspective that’s often less visible in conversations – those, like me who’ve decided not to have children. In sectors that are rightly striving to improve equality, diversity, and inclusion, I’m frequently met with well‑intentioned comments such “you can have it all, a career and family” shared with warmth and solidarity, often from those who feel they’ve successfully balanced both. But they can unintentionally reinforce the idea that professional fulfilment is still measured against traditional life milestones.
My decision not to have children isn’t driven by a desire to prioritise career progression uninterrupted, nor is it a rejection of parenthood. It’s a personal choice shaped by lifestyle values, and by the social, environmental, and economic realities of the world. Choice, after all, is the cornerstone of genuine inclusion. An industry that truly supports women must value not only different ways of working, but diverse ways of living.
Throughout my career, I’ve been committed to advancing decarbonisation in manufacturing through environmental management, green innovation, and early‑stage, blue‑sky research. That work has sharpened my awareness of the consequences of unchecked consumption and growth-at-all-costs thinking for planetary boundaries, supply chains, and intergenerational resilience.
For me, contributing to industrial transformation means questioning not just how we make things, but why and how much. It means recognising that sustainable futures depend on a diversity of perspectives—parents and non‑parents alike—bringing different lived experiences, priorities, and ethics into decision‑making. When industry makes space for all women’s choices to be respected equally, it builds cultures that are more honest, more ethical, and ultimately more sustainable.
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