FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
positive initiative can have a huge impact along the entire chain .
Procurement has also given me the opportunity to work with so many talented people from all over the world . I have 100 colleagues , who come from 40 countries and over a third of them are female .
Our BRAVO programme aims to solve this issue . This is a global network dedicated to helping women get the resources they need to advance in their careers and shape a better future . It ’ s paramount that women have the mentoring , peer-topeer guidance , and coaching they need to tackle the inequalities they still face in the workplace today .
Helping women in our profession close that gap by providing them with the skills and knowledge they need is what BRAVO is all about .
Q . WHAT ’ S THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE FOR WOMEN WORKING IN PROCUREMENT ?
» Multiple industries are faced with the challenge of driving diversity and inclusion , at all levels . Although there is an abundance of D & I initiatives , results lag behind on inclusion of gender , race , ethnicity , demography and disability .
According to a Gartner 2021 survey , women comprise about 40 % of the supply chain workforce . Yet one needs some context . This relatively high number does not mean greater representation of women at leadership level . On the contrary , the number of women in such roles has fallen , according to the same report .
I believe that some of the problems around lack of diversity and inclusion arise from the absence of a clear pathway to leadership roles , a lack of mentorship and an over-reliance on narrow educational backgrounds for procurement roles .
One solution is to create internal pipelines of talent . We need to change hiring strategies , to account for inclusion and diversity in all areas , as well as actively supporting women to take up leadership roles .
Just as important , we must compensate talented female professionals fairly for such roles .
20 November 2022