BREAKING BARRIERS, BUILDING FUTURES

From factory floors to boardrooms, women in manufacturing are reshaping the future — breaking stereotypes, driving innovation, and building a more inclusive industrial landscape.

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For years, manufacturing has been seen as a man's world — full of heavy machinery, long hours, and technical know-how. But that image is starting to shift. More and more women are stepping into the sector, bringing fresh ideas, sharp skills, and a strong sense of purpose. They're not just participating — they are helping to transform the industry from the ground up.

WHERE WE STAND TODAY

Across the globe, women make up about a third of the manufacturing workforce. But when you look at leadership roles, the numbers drop — just 26% of those in decision-making positions are women.

"Despite decades of talk about gender equality in business, women made up just 19.7% of the formal manufacturing workforce around 1.6 million in 2019-20, a figure that has barely budged in over 20 years, according to the Annual Survey of Industries."

In India, the picture is much the same. According to the Annual Survey of Industries, women accounted for 19.7% of the formal manufacturing workforce in 2019-20. That figure — about 1.6 million women — has barely changed in over two decades, despite growing conversations about gender equality in business.