March 8 was designated International Women's Day, which has plenty of relevance to the materials handling community. As we reported last year, more women are participating in industry events and females are represented in increasing numbers in a range of roles in materials handling, notably marketing and HR but also in executive positions.
However, the global awareness campaign held this week comes amid gloomy predictions from the World Economic Forum that the gender gap won't close entirely until 2186. Organisers of International Women's Day say this is too long to wait and note the need for "ground-breaking action that can truly drive greater change for women".
We at Forkliftaction News will continue to report on gender issues in the industry and we'll keep readers informed about achievements in the industry - especially those among women who are still under-represented.