Women in Manufacturing report calls for inclusive leadership to secure sector’s future

The annual Women in UK Manufacturing report, led by Cambridge Indsutrial Innovation Policy’s Dr Jennifer Castañeda-Navarrete, emphasises the importance of embedding fairness, equity, and diversity across the sector and highlights that inclusive leadership is essential for maintaining competitiveness and resilience.

Produced by the Women in Manufacturing UK (WiM UK) initiative, Women in UK Manufacturing 2025: Leading with Inclusion examines women’s participation in the workforce, identifies barriers to progress, and outlines practical actions for creating workplaces where all employees can thrive.

Inclusion: not a passing trend

Creating a safe and inclusive workplace has become a crucial goal for modern leaders. At a time when the UK manufacturing sector faces demographic shifts, rapid technological change, and increasing global competition, leading with inclusion is more urgent than ever.

To stay competitive, the UK must leverage all available talent and foster creativity. However, many industries are experiencing labour shortages and skills gaps, underscoring the importance of recognising and including a diverse range of workers. Failing to promote inclusivity not only limits potential but also diminishes overall competitiveness.

Against this backdrop, this year’s Women in Manufacturing report explores what true inclusive leadership looks like in practice. It highlights how leaders can build workplaces where various experiences – from disability to caregiving – are actively acknowledged and supported, creating a more equitable and productive environment.

“Developing inclusive cultures is no longer optional; it is essential for resilience, competitiveness, and growth,” says lead author Dr. Jennifer Castañeda-Navarrete, Principal Policy Analyst at IfM and founding member of WiM UK.

The 2025 report reviews progress and ongoing challenges for women in manufacturing, with a focus on leadership, inclusion, and workplace culture. It offers principles for inclusive leadership and urges collective action to promote gender equality.

The report includes case studies and interviews illustrating current realities. Highlights include Neo Chatyoka of Uhuru Botanicals, who combines innovation with community impact, and Fran Ball of Arla Foods UK, who has improved workplace culture through listening groups and flexible policies. Other stories reveal barriers faced by women and disabled employees, emphasising the urgent need for change.

Progress – but gaps remain

The manufacturing sector has been steadily progressing towards greater diversity and inclusion.

The 2025 report highlights encouraging momentum, indicating a positive trend despite remaining gaps:

• Women’s share of the UK manufacturing workforce rose to 28.4% in 2024, up 1.6 percentage points from the previous year.
• Representation in managerial, director and senior roles reached 24.8%, a one-point gain and a recovery from the pandemic dip.
• The gender pay gap narrowed to 14.9%, an improvement on 2023 though still nearly two percentage points higher than the national average.
• Women from non-White ethnic backgrounds saw notable gains, increasing their share of the sector from 9.6% to 13.5% in just one year.

These gains mark significant progress toward the “35 by 35” goal of achieving 35% representation by 2035. Although incremental, they show that change is achievable and that collective commitment yields results.

Yet challenges remain. Nearly one quarter of the manufacturing workforce will reach retirement age within the next decade – 74% of them men – creating both urgency and opportunity to broaden participation.

Flexibility as a foundation for inclusion

The report highlights flexibility as one of the most important factors for attracting and retaining diverse talent in manufacturing. Survey respondents – especially women, people with disabilities, long-term conditions, or neurodivergence – consistently rated flexible working, health and wellbeing support, and job security as top priorities.

Nearly half of women experiencing menopause symptoms reported a negative impact on their work, with 39% facing related discrimination or barriers. For these groups, flexible arrangements and supportive policies were seen as critical for continuing their careers.

Interviewees also stressed that feeling undervalued and a lack of career progression were major reasons for leaving the sector. By contrast, clear career pathways, open communication, and adaptable working practices were identified as the most effective ways to foster inclusion.

Jennifer notes: “Flexibility is not a perk – it’s a fundamental enabler of inclusion. Employers that adapt shift patterns, provide accessible facilities, and support life-stage needs are not only keeping valued employees but also building the resilience and competitiveness our sector needs.”

Case studies featured in the report highlight how companies are beginning to respond. Arla Foods, for example, has introduced frontline listening groups and flexible working initiatives in its supply chain operations. These changes have helped reduce attrition among women, with the percentage of women leaving the organisation falling from 19% to 11% in a year.

Leadership as the game-changer

The report highlights the central role of leadership in shaping inclusive environments and identifies the specific qualities that enable leaders to foster more diverse, equitable, and supportive workplaces.

Based on nationwide surveys and interviews, the report sets out five guiding principles for leaders:

• Fairness, respect and trust – ensuring resources and recognition are equitable and accessible.
• Open communication and valuing uniqueness – creating safe spaces for dialogue and rewarding diverse perspectives.
• Equitable career development opportunities – transparent promotion pathways and mentoring for all employees.
• Wellbeing and life-stage support – practical measures from menopause policies to flexible schedules and accessible facilities.
• Social impact – aligning inclusive leadership with environmental goals and community engagement.

The report underlines that inclusive leadership is not only the right thing to do but also essential for competitiveness, innovation, and resilience. It stresses the importance of listening to lived experiences, challenging outdated practices, and embedding equity into every level of organisations.

“Inclusive leadership is about seeing potential where others see difference. When we lead with inclusion, we don’t just open doors for women – we open pathways for innovation, competitiveness and a stronger manufacturing future for the UK,” says Jennifer.

“Manufacturing’s future depends on how we value people – their ideas, experiences and aspirations. Inclusion is not an abstract goal; it’s the everyday practice of recognising everyone’s contribution.”

Call to action

The findings reinforce the UK government’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan and its ambitious “35 by 35” target to achieve 35% women representation in manufacturing by 2035. When members of WiM UK analysed nearly 70 national industrial strategies worldwide, only around 20% even mentioned gender equality, putting the UK at the forefront of embedding diversity and inclusion in industrial policy.

WiM UK’s evidence and recommendations have already helped shape the Equality Charter and wider government strategy. By uniting industry leaders, policymakers and researchers, the initiative provides practical support and peer learning to ensure gender equality becomes a driver of competitiveness, innovation and regional growth, especially in parts of the country that lag in productivity.

The report closes with a call to action: inclusion must be treated not as a compliance exercise, but as a strategic imperative for innovation, resilience and long-term sustainability.

“We call on business leaders and policymakers to place inclusive leadership at the core of the Equality Charter for UK Manufacturing, ensuring that diversity and inclusion are recognised not as compliance obligations but as strategic drivers of competitiveness, innovation, and long-term sustainability,” says Jennifer.

Women in UK Manufacturing 2025: Leading with Inclusion 

About the WiM report

The report is authored by Jennifer Castañeda-Navarrete, Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy, IfM Engage, University of Cambridge, Valeria Ramirez, Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, Eun Sun Godwin, University of Wolverhampton, Rose Sargent, Make UK and Samia Mahmood, University of Wolverhampton.

The report focuses on leadership and inclusion, examining how workplace culture and organisational practices shape women’s participation and advancement and providing guiding principles to lead with inclusion and calls for manufacturing leaders to work collectively to advance gender equality and strengthen the sector’s future.

The following sections of the report are as follows:

• Section 1 reviews changes in women’s participation across UK manufacturing over the past year, with insights by occupation, industry, ethnicity, and disability.
• Section 2 shares findings from surveys and interviews that reveal leadership qualities driving diversity, inclusion, and equality.
• Section 3 sets out guiding principles for inclusive leadership, shaped by research and stakeholder perspectives.
• Section 4 issues a call to action, inviting manufacturing leaders to work collectively toward greater gender equality and a stronger, more inclusive sector.

About WiM UK

The Women in Manufacturing UK Initiative was founded in 2022 to address the gender imbalance in the UK manufacturing sector. Bringing together academics, practitioners, and industry professionals – including founding partners the Institute for Manufacturing (University of Cambridge), the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, and Innovate UK Business Connect – WiM UK works to create inclusive workplace cultures, support career development, and open pathways to leadership. Its mission is to empower women in manufacturing and increase their representation to 35% by 2035.