Is manufacturing still considered a men's world?

A look at why the manufacturing sector is still largely male dominated, the consequences of this, and the potential barriers women within the industry are experiencing.

The Irish Medtech Association recently published a document titled, ‘Inspiring girls, supporting female leaders’. The report aims to identify case studies where successful policies are displayed for manufacturers to see and understand.

In her welcome note, Sinead Koegh, Ibec medtech and engineering director, explains how women are often affected by “unconscious bias”. Keogh highlights how women represent 50% of higher education graduates, yet often lack the confidence to succeed, as well as struggling to battle through the many other barriers which exist for women in the workplace. She also mentions how gender diversity is often not thought of as a priority for men as they are unable to understand the difficulties women face, and even when companies claim to be committed to diversity, only half of them are actually making real progress.

Following the publication of this report, MPN editor Laura Hughes spoke to Rebecca Luce, president of American Swiss Products, to discuss her background, women within medtech, and some of the findings from this published report.

LH: Please tell us in brief about your background.

RL: I am a 3rd generation salesperson. I came to American Swiss in April 1995. My strengths are an analytical mind while being personable and knowledgeable without being patronising. It is a delicate thing to tell a man in manufacturing that his way is inefficient or that there is a better way.

American Swiss has always been very progressive in the role of women in the workplace, and women have served as comptrollers, sales and VPs.

LH: Women only made up 29% of the workforce in manufacturing in the US in 2016. Why do you think this is?

RL: Manufacturing is still considered a men's world. I was at a supplier summit for a major sensor company, and one of my competitors suggested that I should get the coffee for everyone as I was the only woman present. While the customer looked anxious, I just laughed and said I don’t drink coffee, but I would love it if he got me a diet coke. There is certainly a way to be strong without coming off masculine or aggressive. As far as manufacturing, it tends to require some very decisive outcomes. Women tend to be more collaborative and that style of management will get in the way of the quick decisions needed in manufacturing.

I still think the schools are failing at encouraging women to be technical. With the recent Covid-19 crisis and our lag time in manufacturing critical items, I think we may see a resurgence of machining in the USA, and perhaps a greater focus of education - especially of women. There is a shortage of skilled workers and we leave 51% of the working population untapped.

LH: Among those with ambitions to reach an executive leadership position, only 58% of women were confident they’d succeed versus 76% of men. What do you think are the main reasons for this?

RL: To be successful, you have to have a certain personality. Executives tend to be ambitious and somewhat single minded. Men don't tend to be worried about feelings, while women are frequently concerned with how something is presented. Schools and colleges need to focus on leadership programmes.

LH: What do you think has changed in order for female participation rates within medtech, as well as management to rise?

RL: We are starting to see some very exciting programmes in STEM and more women professional networks like Women in Manufacturing groups.

LH: In 2019, for the first time in history, more female students took science A levels compared to male students in the United Kingdom. What impact do you think this will have on the sector?

RL: I think this will have an amazing impact. Women are more readily able to accept input and I think we will have a more collaborative design. I am hoping with a more diverse design team, we will see the errors in a design before we build. This should lead to less product recalls and a more robust and profitable business model. There may be an ability to have more cross functional teams rather than the traditional corporate hierarchy.