Women gaining a foothold in logistics industry

As South Africa prepares to celebrate Women’s Day on August 9, it appears that South African logistics companies are going the extra mile to increase the number of women employed in the industry. It is, however, not just a numbers game but also about creating jobs where women can take up leadership positions to play meaningful and strategic roles within the transport, logistics and supply chain environment. “We have definitely seen more and more women enter boardrooms where strategic business decisions are made,” says Ilse de Bruin, managing director freight forwarding South Africa operations for UTi. “Companies are realising that the inclusion of women in the industry is an imperative business decision that facilitates balance across the economy.” Some 40% of UTi’s workforce is made up of women across different divisions and at different levels, with women involved in driving the business strategy at executive level to operations and warehousing. At the recent Sapics conference at Sun City, Professior Tagatha Dasgupta from the University of California in Irvine was overheard saying he had no idea the South African supply chain industry employed so many women. This bodes well for the industry, say the experts, who believe the trend to employ women will continue into the future, allowing for more women to gain experience in what has historically been a male-dominated industry.