If all has gone to plan, this week’s Optician will have hit letterboxes and desks on Friday March 8 2024, a date which also happens to be International Women’s Day.
Data collected by Optician for its annual Workplace Guide in 2023 and 2022 found the number of women in the UK optical sector is increasing year-on-year by 4%, with a total of 61% of roles held by women in 2023.
While that year-on-year increase is encouraging, the number of women in senior roles at multinational companies still appears to be relatively low – a problem that is mirrored across many other corporate sectors.
A quick look at some of the senior management teams multinational optical companies at the likes of EssilorLuxottica, Safilo, Johnson & Johnson Vision and CooperVision shows men outnumber women significantly. In certain global leadership teams, women don’t feature at all. Given the number of women in the wider optical workplace, this simply doesn’t sit right.
There are talented and inspirational women in the optical industry the world over at every level. From industry stalwarts like Specsavers co-founder Dame Mary Perkins and l.a. Eyeworks founders Gai Gherardi and Barbabra McReynolds, to rising stars such as styling optician-come-influencer Autianna Wilson and Eastman Chemical Company’s Rachel Oakley, who is spearheading a sustainability revolution in eyewear manufacturing.
All have left, and are leaving, an indelible mark on the industry and all should serve as inspiration for women in optics. Talent doesn’t seem to be breaking down barriers in the boardrooms, so there needs to be an attitude shift among men.
Research has found that companies with more women in senior leadership boards outperform those without, and organisations with greater gender diversity among senior leaders are more profitable. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.