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Global Category Intelligence

Q2 2025

International Women's Day: Women's Essential Roles in Procurement and the Global Supply Chain

Categories: Foundational Knowledge, Global Influences
Published: March 6, 2025

As International Women’s Day approaches on March 8, 2025, it’s an opportune time to recognize the indispensable role women play in procurement and global supply chain management. This isn’t about abstract ideals—it’s about the concrete contributions women make to keep international commerce flowing. Data from Jabil, a global manufacturing leader, underscores their impact, alongside broader trends in key regions.

Procurement and supply chain management fuel global trade, valued at $24 trillion in 2023 by the World Trade Organization. Women are a driving force here. Jabil’s workforce reflects this: globally, 54% of its procurement and supply chain employees are women, rising to 63% in Asia, 54% in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), and 42% in the Americas. In procurement specifically—negotiating contracts, managing suppliers, and optimizing costs—Jabil’s indirect procurement teams are 59% female worldwide, with 67% in Asia, 61% in EMEA, and 50% in the Americas. These roles dictate whether production lines hum or falter.

Regional Impact: Women Leading in Mexico, China, and Malaysia
In Guadalajara, Mexico, women are vital to Jabil’s operations and beyond. Jabil reports 43% of its Mexican supply chain staff are women—the highest among its countries with over 25 employees—while indirect procurement in Mexico, centered in Guadalajara, is 50% female. During the 2021 semiconductor shortage, women in procurement rerouted critical resources, stabilizing North American markets.

In China, women dominate Jabil’s supply chain workforce, with 67% female representation—the second highest globally—and 70% in indirect procurement. As a manufacturing hub, Wuxi produces electronics for export, and women oversee supplier networks across Asia. A 2021 McKinsey study found gender-balanced teams, like those women lead here, excel in risk management by 25%. In 2023, when floods hit the Yangtze, Wuxi’s female procurement leaders swiftly secured alternative routes, sustaining global deliveries.

In Penang, Malaysia, Jabil’s supply chain is 69% female—the highest globally—matching its 69% female indirect procurement staff. Known as the “Silicon Valley of the East,” Penang’s $15 billion semiconductor industry relies on women managing ethical sourcing, per a 2022 Penang Institute report showing 50% female representation in manufacturing. A 2023 CIPS study notes female procurement officers are 15% more likely to prioritize sustainable practices, bolstering Malaysia’s role as a trusted supplier.

Driving Results and Overcoming Challenges
Jabil’s management reflects this strength, with 43% of global leadership roles held by women. In India, Poonam Gudapta has lifted textile exports to $44 billion in 2023, per India’s Ministry of Commerce. At the grassroots, sub-Saharan Africa’s 70% female agricultural workforce (FAO) starts supply chains, linked by female procurement experts upstream.

Challenges persist. Women earn 14% less than men in supply chain roles, per a 2022 AWESOME study, and hold just 19% of C-level procurement positions industry-wide, per Gartner. Yet Jabil’s Women’s Leadership Program, with participation doubling since 2020, is accelerating progress—evident in high female representation in Poland (68%) and Ukraine (72%).

On International Women’s Day 2025, the facts speak: women in procurement and supply chain management, from Jabil’s ranks to global markets, deliver. They ensure components arrive, costs drop, and trade flows. Their work isn’t optional—it’s essential!