If we view the organisation as a pyramid, generally gender diversity tends to be represented in the middle layer. The top layer could have fewer female representatives than the middle one and, coming to the bottom layer, it’s very rare to find female employees there also. So when Wabtec Corporation offered a tour of its vertically integrated multimodal factory, it was surprising to find women working in the manufacturing unit. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, they seemed comfortable carrying out the various production tasks.
To think of it, the shop floor is a labour-intensive male-dominated segment of any manufacturing unit. However, companies are beginning to employ women. Their inclusion brings diversity into the workforce. Women assemble, sort and package products for distribution, and their inclusion on the shop floor has urged companies to raise the bar for physical safety. Enhanced safety protocols could give the company a better public...