Women in Print

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’ve been looking at the role of women in print. In a report published last year, it was shown that the UK print industry is made up of 69% men and 31% women. While this varies from company to company, the stats are clear – fewer women are entering the printing industry.

Yet why is this? And what can be done?

We grabbed Systems & Project Manager Dawn Galley to get her views:

1. Why are there so few females in the print industry?

It’s true that this certainly used to be the case, especially when I started my career in print.  However I think that things are changing – and we are seeing more and more females in the print trade now than ever before, which is great news.

2. What if anything needs to be done?

I don’t it’s something that’s gender specific to be honest.  I think getting young talent into the industry regardless of male or female should be the way forward. A focus on females specifically wouldn’t necessarily be helpful.

3. Are all female groups and networking events a help – or a hindrance?

I’m on the fence with this one. For me  personally, I prefer mixed networking but I can understand why some females may not feel confident or comfortable at a male dominated event. On one hand I think an event for females only sounds great, but you can lose the opportunity to hear experiences from the male side then. In anything a mixed and varied event to share experiences and advise would be my preferred option. There is also the risk that “women only” events further marginalise women.

For me I’ve always been very lucky with my employers that my gender hasn’t had any negative impact on my role or progression through the print trade.

4. What would you say to young female wishing to join the print industry?

Go for it!  Be confident in yourself and your abilities. If you feel you can undertake a role and have the relevant experience, show why this is the case. Don’t be afraid to talk positively about yourself and what you can do. Be open to learning and asking questions, even if it takes you outside your comfort zone. This would be my advice to any young person wanting to join the industry, male or female.