We are excited to share the findings of an innovative online survey developed by Sylva Foundation to better understand gender equality in the wood-based furniture industry.
Over the past three months we have gathered data and information from employers from the woodworking industry in Britain concerning gender equality. This is because anecdotal evidence, along with limited existing evidence, had indicated significant gender inequality.
The 2023 survey was completed on behalf of 28 businesses by respondents who were 56% male. Businesses represented were mainly involved in manufacturing with wood and were furniture makers. In total, 954 employees were represented, with the largest business employing 135 people, the smallest five.
Key Findings:
- Across all businesses 20% of the workforce were women
- Among senior roles, 29% were held by women
- Among those working in manufacturing, 8.5% were women
- While most respondents believed their place of work was gender inclusive, some stressed the difficulty of recruiting women to their business
CEO Dr Gabriel Hemery will launch the full survey report at the opening of Woodworking and Gender: What’s the Story? seminar on Friday 13th October 2023. Sylva Foundation will be using the results of this survey to inform a new programme aiming to support gender equality in the wood-based furniture industry.
