Breaking the gender bias

International Women's Day (IWD) celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Run annually on 8th March, the day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity and breaking gender bias. 

At Chemring, we are working hard to try and remove bias from our workplace.  Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also makes business sense. Research shows that gender bias contributes to women being passed over for jobs and promotions. That means we are missing out on great talent if we are not clear about removing bias.   

In the global workplace, almost 60 per cent of women regularly experience microaggressions at work. And women of colour, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities face more acute biases. The sad fact is that fewer than half of women say they've spoken out against biased behaviour in their workplace at any point in their career. 

Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias exists isn’t enough, action is needed to level the playing field. According to the World Economic Forum, sadly none of us will see gender parity in our lifetimes, and nor likely will many of our children. Gender parity will not be attained for almost a century.  Actions now will have an effect and these need to be multiple, frequent, and constant to ensure that we make progress in the next century 

Here at Chemring, we will be staging our first Chemring Women’s Network event this September.  Delivered virtually, this event will bring together women from across Chemring to network, to hear from inspirational speakers and to discuss key issues and challenges.  

In recognition of IWD, here we share the accomplishments of some of the remarkable women at Chemring: 

 Latha Visvendran, Chemring Group Treasurer: 
“I hope that I’ve become a good role model for other people wanting to pursue either an accounting career or a leadership position. At work and in my professional networks, I’m no longer the only woman in the room. I see more female role models now than ever. Accountancy is a diverse profession and I’ve always felt that it’s representative of the population.  

“My learning points for other women, in fact for anyone, would be to build a network, take and seek out development opportunities, don’t be afraid to speak up, always use your listening skills, and seek out advice.” 

Jasmine Leed-Leamer, Production Manager at Chemring’s Lara plant in Australia: 
“As part of the Women in Manufacturing network, I most commonly hear of three types of interaction that women face. Those people who are afraid or unsure of how to interact with a woman in a leadership position. Those people who genuinely don’t see your gender, you’re just a person. And those people who like to flex their muscles and test you to see how you’ll react.  

“Interestingly, it’s not just in the workplace where you notice differences. When I dropped my children at school, I was often the only mum in a fluorescent jacket and safety boots. So, it’s not just about women in leadership positions but also women in manufacturing roles.” 

Henriette Ruud, Quality Director at Chemring Nobel in Saetre: 
“I started in Chemring Nobel nine years ago and am now responsible for Quality and Compliance. I’ve always liked biology and physics and decided to do my degree in cellular, molecular biology. I’m interested in how things work and how one thing can affect another. That motivated me to do a Masters degree in toxicology. This is a very inclusive role, and building good relationships is an important part of the job. You learn so much from others, and that helps you develop.” 

Heather Reid, Chemring Group HSE Improvements Lead: 
“Before joining Chemring, I served for 17.5 years as an Aircraft Engineer in the Royal Air Force. When I joined, I was the only female in a technical trade at basic training, on my mechanic course, and at the Engine Bay at my first posting. However, I was determined to progress through my career based on ability and worked hard to ensure I was treated equally.” 

Layla Gordon, a consultant engineer at Roke: 
“When I did my PhD, I was the only girl on the course. Because of this I’ve been inspired to encourage more women into this field. It is becoming more popular with women, as we are naturally into visuals and creativity. I’ve done over 100 talks to encourage more people into this field and to raise awareness of the opportunities. Working with AR and VR is a craft. It’s as much an art as it is about technology.”