ABM_1 - Flipbook - Page 60
FEATURE
WOMEN IN AUTOMOTIVE
Shifting gears
Women as buyers, drivers
and decision-makers
ABM's Milly Standing explores
female representation
across the full gamut of the
automotive sector, and asks
what must happen to take
the next step for women
T
he automotive industry is
typically male-centric. When
people think of this sector, they
picture their local garage or
dealership, with an all-male
cast running the show. The
underrepresentation of women
is reflected not just on the
showroom floor, but in the way female
consumers purchase cars, with their
concerns often not being addressed,
specifically during the transition to
electrification.
However, times are changing – from
getting women in the dealership door,
to their gaining a presence in the room
where top-level decisions are made.
Representation gap
Women currently constitute only 17.5%
of the automotive sector workforce,
in comparison to 53% of the general
working-age population, according
60
AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS Q4 2025
to the IMI 2025 EDI Sector Report.
Representation of women in the industry
has actually declined 2.1% over the past
two years.
A study by Deloitte, which surveyed
people working in the sector, found that
68% of respondents feel women are
underrepresented in leadership positions.
With this disparity in the sector, it is
understandable that many women do
not want to interact with the automotive
industry, from events and test drives to
workshops, showrooms and garages.
Indeed, 48% of women feel the car
retail experience is biased towards men,
according to a study by Citroen.
However, women have a lot of
purchasing power in the UK.
In March 2025, the Government put
out a release discussing the gender
pay gap, highlighting that women have
contributed 40% to the economy's
growth since 2000.
