Essay: Women in Manufacturing

Women in Manufacturing: Are We Management Material
The number of women who have taken up professional employment has improved in the last century. The improvement is because, in many countries across the world, education is also available to women. Educational opportunities have a significant role in the economic empowerment of women. However, the number of women in a leadership position is small. Organizations should not ignore social anticipations for equality. Education comes with the significant change that will allow women to be considered; while selecting professionals who possess these kinds of leadership skills required to leading a group. The biggest challenge that professional women face is leading in a manufacturing industry. Today, the estimated number of women who occupy a top leadership position in the manufacturing sector is about 2% worldwide. The biggest challenge in this industry has been promoting women to this position due to the competitiveness required to managing this area.
However, to increase the number of women in this sector requires organizations to promote gender diversity. In today’s world, young women are facing unique challenges as compared to men while trying to develop leadership styles (Elson, 1989). The myth that to be a woman, one must maintain the good girl image while preserving others has seen women fall back from leading many organizations. The aim of writing this paper is to show why women do not occupy a position in the manufacturing industry and what needs to be done to ensure that women have equal opportunities when it comes to taking these chances. This paper seeks to clarify what society should do to ensure these barriers are removed; to ensure that women career development journeys applies to the same destination as men.
To begin with, the number one reason there are few women leaders in manufacturing industry is there are no role models who can inspire young girls to take up a leadership position in science, technology, and manufacturing. Just like in any other field, women in the manufacturing industry are required to steer a double truss while maintaining a good girl image. Those who forcefully defy this path are considered strong enough. This is caused by the shortage of female role model in these fields. We learn leadership by observing others and learning from their mistakes.
Women have few or no women to look up to in a leadership position. Though they can learn this through male leaders, men cannot teach females how to stop women stereotypes. Women who start small while climbing the different level in the industry often find it easy learning through their mistake while at this same time competing with men (Spicer, 2007). This tactic is important in the realization an equal society where women compete for positions with men instead of a society where women are self-promoted to a leadership position with justifying their worth.
Researchers have been trying to establish reasons being the lack of female leaders in manufacturing industry. Geographically, different reasons have shown why women struggle to take up a managerial position in this sector. For example, in United States women fail to take up these roles because of lack of role models while in other parts of the world the reason being stereotype issues. In 2014, men gained over 400,000 jobs while women lost close to 100,000 jobs in the same sector. The number of women in this industry keeps on decreasing every year. This means that the chances of a manufacturing company have a female leader are slimmer as compared to the previous year (Naples & Desai, 2004).
Secondly, the struggle faced by women in manufacturing world comes from the myth related to masculinity. The idea behind this is for one to rise to the top in this sector, one has to start small where one is required carrying out activities associated with masculinity. Many women are not ready to go through this road while they maintain the good girl image associated with femininity (Naples & Desai, 2004). Challenging this culture is important towards influencing gender diversity in this sector. It is about time women who want to maintain that good girl image to be allowed to fight to the top with the ideal femininity appearance still with them. Those who make it to the top should try to change this culture to allow more women to penetrate in the future.
Women should also work hard to compete with men. We live a society where only the best are considered for key positions. Women who work hard to prove their worth or justify they deserve to lead in this sector have ended up occupying top position. Despite research showing that girls perform better in science and math as compared to boys, women are yet to shows these qualities while competing for this position when it comes to professional levels (Kirton & Greene, 2010). This is due to the stereotype associated with women and hard labor.
This is an old theory used in an old time were in manufacturing industry people were expected to perform hard work. Today, this is rarely the case. Manufacturing industry requires skilled laborers who can operate machines. Female students have been equipped with this knowledge and thus can perform these tasks. However, due to this stereotype, women are forced to shy away from even studying courses related to manufacturing industry leaving only a few women to compete with men (Omar & Davidson 2001 ).
Further research shows that perception about women alone does not influence the lack of female leaders in manufacturing industry. International trade union conference recently published a report that showed t women are paid close to 20% less of what men get working in the manufacturing industry; this is a de-motivating factor. This influences young girls to consider sectors that offer same pay as men for the same job required to accomplish. This is the second largest gender pay gap in all sectors globally. This promotes the industry to be filled by men.
To outdo this stereotype, it is critical for the manufacturing industry to take up the role of motivating female student towards taking up this course by sending recruiters to colleges with the aim of reaching female graduates who perform well in these subjects. Manufacturing industries should assign mentors to inspire female students in school. This will help increase the interest by a female student to go out there seek employment in manufacturing industries and finally see equality in this sector.
Also, stakeholders in this manufacturing sector should try to change the ways of running their public relations. Through community and schools, outreach programs to motivate young scholars and the untapped industry will help inspire young female students to develop their interest in these fields. Leaders in this sector should also try and influence lawmakers to implement zero-tolerance police on anybody found to have sexually harassed a woman.
The idea behind this is to show the young student that this sector is just like any other area where women can take up a leadership position and justify their skill through improvement of services of offered. This will help attract more women in this industry while providing competition to men. By practicing this, the perception that women are not welcomed in this sector will slowly be eradicated from people’s mind while attracting interest from a student who desire is to lead an industry that was once invaded by men (Omar & Davidson, 2001).
Today the number of women who graduate in university is high as compared to those of men. In these industries, workers are required to have high skills to operate computers and automobiles. This high number of female graduates should apply for manufacturing jobs to change this stereotype that has long been associated with the perception that this industry is all about had labor that is not favorable for women.
In conclusion, to increase the number of women in this sector requires organizations to promote gender diversity. The need for manufacturing industries to have more female recruiters acting as role models will help inspire women towards applying for manufacturing jobs. Women who work hard to prove their worth or justify that they deserve to lead in this sector have ended up occupying top positions. Now is the time for women who want to maintain that good girl image of ideal femininity appearance, and strive to fight to the top for any leadership goals.