The chemical industry is falling short on supporting women

A white female professional expressed frustration at being the only woman in the room. A woman of colour pointed out that she wasn’t even there, and LGBTQ+ colleagues echoed similar sentiments. A new mother who faced significant challenges after returning from only a month of maternity leave was too overwhelmed to be in the conversation.

The chemical industry is a cornerstone of global economic development. Yet, it is falling short of fostering a truly inclusive environment for women. Significant barriers include insufficient benefits for childrearing, a shortcoming of inclusive and equitable practices, and an ever-present wage gap. The chemical industry must urgently address these barriers to ensure a robust female workforce and a sustainable future for our industry.

Women’s health and working caregivers’ needs lack sufficient support

Many companies don’t provide adequate support for women’s health, especially when it comes to maternity leave and related benefits. While some global companies offer paid maternity leave for 8 to 14 weeks, only a few leading companies like BASF, DOW, and DuPont offer paid parental leave regardless of gender for up to 16 weeks and support for employees who have fostered, adopted, or started their families through methods like surrogacy. Unfortunately, such benefits are not consistently available across the industry. At Women In Chemicals, we conducted a survey that found that 10% of community members (who were predominantly based in the US) had no maternity policy, and 7% had less than one month of maternity leave.

Due to the lack of these pertinent support systems, many women find the return-to-work process challenging. On-site workplace childcare is rare, and current leave policies force new mothers to choose between career advancement and family responsibilities.

Female-specific health concerns such as menopause and endometriosis are also often overlooked by the industry. While some companies offer resources or initiatives promoting awareness of menstrual and menopause issues and providing health insurance plans, these efforts are not yet common. There is a clear need for more targeted support, including flexible work options and health resources for women.

Focus should be on all women. It is not the current reality.

Women of colour and LGBTQ+ women face additional challenges due to gender, racial or sexual orientation biases in recruiting and hiring practices. Despite efforts to improve diversity, these groups are still significantly underrepresented throughout all levels of our industry and organisations and face greater disparities in pay and career advancement. Diversity in leadership is crucial, and it’s important to emphasise that increasing the number of women should not only focus on white heterosexual women. A 2023 study by McKinsey found that companies with greater gender and ethnic diversity in their management teams are 39% more likely to outperform other companies. A lack of diversity is costly for our organisations and our industry at large.

At Women In Chemicals, our initiatives such as our Generation Female panel series and mentorship program, are designed to highlight the different intersections of women in the industry and give all who participate a sense of belonging, as well as inspiring those currently working and considering joining the industry. While we are making some progress, much work still needs to be done.

Women of colour and LGBTQ women hold only 5% and less than 1% of board seats respectively

Our industry must also be equitable when it comes to properly compensating our female workforce. According to the Royal Society of Chemistry’s 2023 Pay and Reward survey of its members, women in the sector earn nearly 21% less on average than their male counterparts. This unjust gap is primarily due to the lack of representation in higher-paying senior and leadership positions. Women only hold about 15-16% of board seats and 20% of senior leadership roles in the chemical industry. The statistics are even more dismal for women of colour and LGBTQ women, who hold only 5% and less than 1% of board seats, respectively.

Systemic biases in hiring and promotion practices further perpetuate these disparities. Though training on unconscious bias is a basic step to raise awareness, it doesn’t directly impact decision-making. These inequalities will continue to discourage women from remaining in the workforce and perpetuate this problem further.

Male allies: The key to unlocking change

Studies show that among companies where men are actively involved in gender diversity initiatives, 96% report progress. Men can help create a more inclusive and gender-equal workplace through several actions, including advocating and speaking up for gender equality, supporting career development for female colleagues by mentoring and sponsorship, and challenging unconscious biases, microaggressions and non-inclusive behaviours against women of diverse identities. The male Ally Advisory Board is an essential part of the Women in Chemicals board.

The chemical industry needs to do more to reduce these differences. Addressing these issues requires a joint effort from all levels of the industry, from top executives to entry-level employees. Solutions must address the needs of women in all areas, from support roles to traditionally male-dominated functions such as manufacturing, operations, transport, research and development. Only by recognising and addressing these gaps can the chemical industry truly become a leader in creating a diverse and inclusive workplace for all its employees.

Without support, we will not be able to maintain a sustainable workforce. The lack of resources is not just hurting our female workforce, it’s hurting our bottom line.