As Women in Print quietly celebrates its ninth year of providing a forum for women within the printing industry, it is interesting to contemplate whether much has changed in relation to attitudes towards females. In the background, there is chatter around the lack of female representation at Board level for our leading industry association – although it is good to see Kellie Northwood now there – and we only managed four out of fifty in the ProPrint Power 50 in 2015. At 8 per cent, or one in 12, of the representative total, we are definitely tracking lower than the ASX200 Women on Boards which is 22.7 per cent, or one in four and a half.

In 2016 is this simply because our numbers are already lower in a traditionally male-dominated industry, or a cultural glass-ceiling the industry must overcome? The recent report from the Anita Borg Institute, The Case for Investing in Women, found that gender balance leads to improved operational and financial performance, increased innovation, better problem solving and enhanced company representation. What organisation in this current climate is not seeking those key elements to build within their business culture?

I would assert that the current industry imbalance is not from a lack of contribution and there are many intelligent and committed women throughout the industry making a difference. Whatever the reason for the industry’s imbalance, everywhere I go I work alongside strong, capable women who are contributing in different ways to the success of our industry.

From my experience, women in our industry are just busy getting on with their careers and trying to influence the numbers of women in leadership by encouraging each other, mentoring those around them and improving their own skills in order to make a stronger contribution rather than dwelling on any perceived glass ceiling.

[Related: Photos- Women in Print Sydney 2015)

A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald (Top Sydney University mathematician Nalini Joshi laments gender discrimination, March 30) speaks about the glacial rate of change in female participation rates in academia, and this is also the case in print.

Ms Joshi makes a comment about attending functions only to be mistaken as serving staff. This is not a scenario that many women in print are unfamiliar with – if they get to attend an industry function at all. Women I talk to comment that they are more often complimented on their appearance, new haircut or dress than their recent achievements for their company.

Awareness and education is always key to resolving imbalance. Within the Australian academia community SAGE (Science in Australia Gender Equity) has commenced a programme based on the UK Athena Swan model that encourages participants to sign up to a Charter before collecting and analysing data, creating action plans and monitoring progress.

Perhaps this is something that could be driven by our industry associations, with the goal of more inclusive gender participation, in order to achieve some of the benefits outlined in the Anita Borg study. We need leadership from within our industry to start gathering data, committing to change and making it happen.

Women in Print events were conceived in 2007 to begin this education process and to provide a forum to share ideas and encourage participation within our industry. They are a strong example of the diversity of women we attract. We come together from all sectors – newspapers, graphic design, supply, offset, digital, packaging, education and wide format with varying levels of experience and expertise but with a high level of passion and interest in building networks and gaining an edge through exposure to new thinking.

One of the most positive aspects of Women in Print events is the range of job descriptions that it attracts – from office administration to sale representatives, printers to business owners and CEOs, designers to customer service. This diverse

[Related: Photos- Women in Print Melbourne 2015]

representation allows us to build new business and networks while gaining an understanding of the broader industry needs and machinations.

Another positive has been the inclusion of our end-user or customer in the events, which has allowed us to promote the industry and the benefits of using print and paper to a wider audience beyond ourselves.

With each year we constantly strive to attract a high calibre speaker that can challenge our thinking especially within the context of the turbulent environment that is the printing industry. Women are grappling with the same issues as men within the industry. These are times of rapid change and innovation and thinking differently and looking for opportunities is especially relevant.

In 2016, we have sourced a speaker that is able to address these areas of interest. Charlie Caruso is an entrepreneur who is focused on showing the audience how to move from antiquated and outdated to agile and innovative. She has a particular interest in challenging generational bias, especially around Generation Y, and will also present some case studies on how businesses can think differently and embrace new ways of working innovatively.

Author and editor of Understanding Y (Wiley), she is a producer, presenter, podcaster, keynote, and business innovation consultant (aka entrepreneur), she has a passion for creating positive change through creative disruption.

This annual opportunity for women in the printing industry is only made possible with the support of our sponsors who clearly see value in the continuance of the event.

If you have not had an opportunity to attend a Women in Print event I encourage you to do so in May 2016. It is a good example of the formal expression of the community that women have made within the printing industry and we look forward to welcoming you and providing a forum to discuss more innovative ideas that can allow us to contribute positively to the industry.

To find out more about Women in Print and to book yourself for the 2016 Breakfast Series go to the website at www.womeninprint.com.au.

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.  

Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter