For International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025, we’re mapping down on the positive progress being made by top businesses in supply chain management but also highlighting the areas requiring more action to bring gender equality to the technology sector.
IWD’s theme for 2025 is #AccelerateAction and this statement is more prevalent now than ever as we see contrasting reports on women’s representation in the technology industry.
A recent FTSE Women Leaders Review has proven that the pursuit of gender equality within corporate leadership has yielded notable successes, predominantly in boardrooms. However, this progress has not been uniformly reflected throughout organisational hierarchies, especially within supply chain roles, as detailed in the Gartner 2024 Women in Supply Chain Survey. This disparity underscores the necessity to accelerate action towards comprehensive gender parity across all levels of business operations.
Boardroom Advances: A Cause for Celebration
The latest FTSE Women Leaders Review reveals that women now occupy 43.4% of board positions across FTSE 350 companies, a significant increase from previous years. This achievement highlights the effectiveness of sustained efforts to promote female representation at the highest decision-making levels. Notably, companies within the grocery and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors have been exemplary in this regard. For instance, The Co-operative Group (Co-op), an Authenticate client, has emerged as a leader, coming top of the chain, with female representation in the boardroom at 66.7%, reflecting its commitment to fostering inclusive leadership.
A Halt in Supply Chain Equality: A Call for Action
Contrastingly, the Gartner 2024 Women in Supply Chain Survey indicates a concerning plateau in the advancement of women within supply chain roles, stating that figures are down 1 point from last year. Despite the overall increase in female board representation, the proportion of women in the overall supply chain workforce has not experienced a corresponding rise. This plateau suggests that while top-tier leadership is becoming more diverse, operational and mid-level management roles within supply chains remain predominantly male.
But why are we seeing this stall in women’s representation in the supply chain industry? An interview conducted by Gartner speaking with Dana Stiffler, VP and Distinguished Analyst in Gartner’s Supply Chain practice, pinpointed three primary factors:
- Lack of formal goals
- CSCOs aren’t leading their own initiatives
- Less focus on pay equity
Bridging the Gap: The Role of Technology and Transparency
To address this imbalance, companies must implement targeted strategies that promote gender diversity throughout their supply chains. Technology plays a pivotal role in this endeavour. Software such as Authenticate offers solutions that enhance transparency and accountability within supply chains. By providing detailed insights into supplier practices and workforce compositions, businesses can identify areas where gender disparities exist and develop informed strategies to address them.
Authenticate’s Commitment to Empowering Women in Supply Chains
Authenticate is dedicated to supporting organisations in their quest to achieve gender equality across all operational levels. Our platform enables businesses to monitor and report on gender representation within their supply chains using solutions like digital audits and KPIs, facilitating data-driven decisions that foster inclusivity. By increasing transparency through the tiers, we aim to extend the progress witnessed in boardrooms to every facet of the supply chain, ensuring that women have equitable opportunities to lead and excel.
Driving Change Through Transparency: How Authenticate Solutions Support Gender Equality
To ensure that gender equality is embedded at every level of the supply chain, businesses need data-driven insights, visibility, and collaboration with suppliers. Our suite of solutions provides the tools necessary to monitor, measure, and address gender representation challenges, ensuring that the progress being made in boardrooms extends across entire supply networks.
Supply Chain Mapping
Understanding where gender disparities exist is the first step in addressing them. With our Supply Chain Mapping module, businesses can plot direct and indirect supplier locations to pinpoint areas where gender inequality may be more prevalent. Whether identifying regions where women are underrepresented in leadership roles or high-risk areas where gender-based discrimination occurs, supply chain mapping provides the visibility needed to take targeted action.
Audits & Assessments
Regular audits and assessments provide organisations with real-time data on gender representation, diversity, and workplace standards. Using our Audits & Assessments tool, businesses can create and distribute bespoke digital surveys to suppliers, monitoring compliance with equality commitments, tracking workforce demographics, and ensuring ethical labour practices that empower women throughout the supply chain.
KPIs
Capturing and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is essential for measuring progress toward gender equality. Our KPI tracking tools allow businesses to analyse supplier performance based on gender related metrics, this could include the percentage of female employees, wage equality, or even leadership representation. These insights help organisations set measurable goals and drive accountability across their supply networks.
Document Management
Embedding gender equality into supply chain operations requires clear policies, compliance monitoring, and shared commitments. With our Document Management solution, businesses can securely share and manage supplier policies on gender equality, modern slavery, and ethical employment practices. By ensuring transparency in supplier commitments, companies can hold partners accountable and promote a fairer, more inclusive supply chain.
Championing Women Within Authenticate
At Authenticate, we don’t just advocate for gender equality in global supply chains, we embody it within our own workforce. With over 50% of our team made up of women, spanning key areas such as sales and marketing, client services, data, and technology, we are proud to foster an inclusive and empowering workplace. By ensuring representation at every level, we continue to break down barriers in the tech industry whilst driving meaningful change for businesses worldwide. This International Women’s Day, we reaffirm our commitment to accelerating action, both within our own organisation and throughout the supply chains we support.
We are committed to providing businesses with the tools they need to foster real change and #AccelerateAction. By leveraging transparency technology, organisations can ensure that gender equality is not just a boardroom discussion but a tangible commitment that extends throughout each tier of the supply chain.
Want to learn more about how Authenticate can support your gender equality initiatives? Get in touch with our team today to book a demo.