WOMEN IN LOGISTICS: A groundbreaking initiative to bridge the gender gap in chemical logistics and address a business challenge

WOMEN IN LOGISTICS: a business opportunity Imagine a logistics industry where gender balance is not just an aspiration but a reality.

The Women in Logistics initiative is paving the way for this transformation, addressing the gender gap and tackling critical business challenges head-on.

Logistics has traditionally been a male-dominated industry. While the gender gap is slowly narrowing, it remains significant. Attracting more women to the logistics sector can address critical business challenges, such as labor shortages and regional competitiveness. For example, women make up only 6% or less of the truck driver population in Europe. Addressing this substantial divide could not only help solve the driver shortage but also improve gender balance among drivers.

Gender imbalance in operational and leadership roles is often a result of historical perceptions and the way current job requirements are structured. By reassessing these requirements, we can ensure a more standardized approach and help widen the pool of candidates. Achieving a more equitable number of men and women would make jobs more attractive to potential employees, both men and women, and contribute to securing jobs, addressing labor shortages, and improving workforce sustainability.

The economic impact of achieving a better gender balance is immense. The International Labor Organization analyzed diversity management in 13,000 companies across 70 countries and found that more diverse companies perform better in terms of talent recruitment and retention, creativity, innovation, and turnover. Similarly, BlackRock’s analysis of 1,500 MSCI companies over the past decade found that companies with the most diverse workforces outperformed their less diverse peers in return on assets (RoA) by 29% per year from 2013 to 2022.

Yet, the World Economic Forum projects that achieving global business-wide gender balance will take 131 years, across all industries. Given that this projection is likely worse for the male-dominated logistics industry, urgent action is needed.

Collaboration for Change

Women in Logistics (WIL) is a unique industry-wide initiative founded by Dow and H.Essers. This unprecedented collaboration brings together competitors and sector associations to address critical challenges in the logistics and chemical industries. The WIL consortium of companies received immediate support and engagement from ECTA, the EU association of chemical logistics providers, and Cefic, the EU association of chemical industry. From their respective members, six companies – Den Hartogh, Bertschi, Hoyer, PSA-Alisan, LyondellBasell, and Eastman – have pledged their involvement and joined the WIL board. WIL strives to harness the power of diverse teams to address driver and labor shortages, ensuring a stable and future-ready workforce for the logistics and chemical sector.

For more details, watch this video: https://mediastock.essers.com/pKJZALP5TM

Workforce stability: a business imperative

To successfully address the pressing workforce shortage, logistics and chemicals companies must take a strategic and long-term approach. The WIL consortium is committed to developing data-driven, sustainable workforce solutions that will secure operational efficiency and business continuity.

This initiative is not about modifying job roles to fit individuals; it is about optimizing talent acquisition and retention strategies to ensure companies remain competitive. WIL promotes strategic workforce optimization by identifying workforce gaps and developing action plans to address them, strengthening talent pipelines by attracting and retaining skilled professionals, and enhancing industry attractiveness to secure a sustainable workforce.

Workforce diversity and balance lead to better problem-solving, stronger leadership, and improved business outcomes. By broadening the talent pool and creating better working conditions, the sector can boost operational performance and reinforce European leadership in global trade.

Increasing competitiveness by bridging the gender gap

To effectively implement its focus, the WIL consortium aims to achieve improved gender parity in European logistics, starting with the chemical sector. The approach begins with small steps, ensuring gradual progress and sustainable change. Based on data-driven, top-down awareness, WIL wants to be an inspiring platform for company action plans. The consortium aims to drive commitment to optimizing conditions to create an inclusive and thriving logistics ecosystem.

Closing the gender gap in the European logistics sector is essential, but achieving equity is more important than quotas. Research shows that even a 30/70 gender breakdown can have a significant positive impact. By blending skills within teams, we can achieve the best results, which indirectly means having a strong representation of genders. This approach not only enhances team performance but also fosters innovation, sustainability, compliance, and resilience in the logistics industry.

This commitment to inclusion aims to create a work environment where all employees feel valued and can thrive. By focusing on these principles, WIL believes a well-balanced logistics sector is better in many respects, and at the same time, it will also attract more talent with various perspectives and backgrounds. Both forces will thus reinforce each other, ultimately driving success and growth.

Embarking on this journey

This unique collaboration is an excellent example of how industry stakeholders can come together to solve business challenges. To continue the journey, WIL invites you to join its effort to advance gender equity and empower women across all levels of the logistics sector. With a specific focus on drivers, operators and leadership, the initiative aims to promote meaningful business solutions in the industry through collaboration and ongoing engagement.

Join us in driving the change! With significant challenges, such as driver shortages and a lack of new talent, inclusion is more important than ever. By fostering an inclusive culture, we can attract a wider talent pool, including women, who are a vital solution to the labor shortage. This not only ensures a more sustainable pipeline for growth but also strengthens European competitiveness. Let’s build a more innovative and successful logistics sector, creating jobs and securing the future of our industry.

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