33 www.printmonthly.co.uk March / April 2025 - Issue 353 WOMEN IN PRINT T he print industry has a gender imbalance. In the UK, this was highlighted in the most recent 2018 data from The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) which showed the split to be 69/31 for the UK print industry. This has improved, albeit minimally, since previous research in 2013, where the figure sat at 72/28. The print manufacturing split has shown far less evolution, having shifted 1% from 76/24 to 75/25. We are now eagerly awaiting up-todate research to see whether this figure has improved further. Lisbeth Lyons Black, director of Women in Print Alliance at PRINTING United Alliance, highlights that this is mirrored in the US with data showing that whilst women make up 47% of the American workforce, only 30% work in manufacturing, and print specifically. In the meantime, you only have to attend an event or take a look on LinkedIn to see that the split is still very much imbalanced. Whilst this is improving and initiatives, groups, and panels are helping to raise awareness of this issue and discuss solutions, why is it still the case that fewer women seek out a career in print, and how can we as an industry improve these figures? One theory, backed by Lyons Black, is that historically, print was much more of a hands-on, manufacturing, labour-intensive career which was either unattractive to or ‘not approved of’ for women. Having entered the printing industry two decades ago to serve as the chief US government and political affairs officer for a leading graphic communications trade association, Lyons has headed up PRINTING United Alliance’s Women in Print Alliance since 2022. For manufacturing, and print specifically, Lyons Black believes the two key factors that have long worked against us in attracting women to the workforce are perception and physicality. “Namely, the perception that manufacturing jobs were ‘dirty jobs’ – ‘ink and stink’ – and too dangerous or physical for women,” explains Lyons Black. “For women who saw through that and were early pioneers on a factory or pressroom floor, they were very few in number. “I think that print has become more attractive to women in recent years partly as a byproduct of its changing technology and the increase of digital printing,” Lyons Black says. “Printing companies are cleaner than they used to be. Automation has reduced some physical barriers of the job, and even shift work, which in another era may have been unfathomable to women responsible for traditional childcare roles while their husbands worked, now mirrors what workers of all genders say they want – flexible hours to better manage home life.” So, is it an issue of representation of the industry on a whole? Those of us in the industry are well aware of the breadth of opportunities available, from design, artwork creation, marketing, sales, and admin roles to installations, machine operators, technicians and engineers. The list is exhaustive. So how do we highlight this to those considering a career in print, and even more crucially, how do we ensure the industry is on the radar of those who haven’t considered a career in print? Someone who is relatively new to the industry is Jodie White, who works in the Very Displays sales team as Northern Territory team leader. Whilst this is her first job in the print industry, White previously worked in events and venues where print and displays were always a part of the role. Coincidentally, White’s dad was also in the print industry for two decades as a print operative. “As a kid he actually taught me to smell colours, so you could say it has always been a part of my life really,” she recalls. When asked why she thinks the industry is still male dominated in 2025, White says: “It is definitely still ‘traditional’, especially on the production side. I think the main reason for this is that print isn’t necessarily a path that women are educated on as a possible career choice and that’s through the education system from an early age. I would say it’s an awareness issue and maybe not enough is done to reach out to women and show that this industry is a career option. That being said, here at Very Displays we are pretty much 50/50 in terms WHY IS THE PRINT INDUSTRY STILL MALE DOMINATED IN 2025? With International Women’s Day celebrated on March 8th, Carys Evans, account manager at Karis Copp Media, highlights the growing need for more women in the print industry and the positive change those already in it are making Moving Away from the Stereotype An Issue of Representation? ▲ Cindy Van Luyck from Four Pees ► Jodie White, Northern Territory team leader at Very Displays
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