22/05/2025
Autopromotec and WAW! for female empowerment in the automotive industry
Nicoletta Ferrini
Women are still a minority in automotive. The persistent gender bias make the sector unattractive and unappealing for human resources who would be very valuable today.
The automotive sector is running fast, but there are still those who are left behind. Worldwide, women represent less than 25% of the global Automotive workforce. The percentage drops to 15% in the aftermarket, where fewer than 5% of senior leaders in technical or workshop businesses are women, and less than 3% of garage owners or Aftermarket entrepreneurs are female (source: GiPA). Gender prejudices hinder growth prospects in automotive professions, and even before that, make study and training paths with a career outlet in the sector unattractive.
The persistent gender gap is a paradox in an industry otherwise really dynamic and constantly evolving, as well as a missed opportunity considering the current and wide shortage of workforce. Suffice it to say that less than half of the engineering graduate women are working in the Automotive Aftermarket.
The gender gap matter was dealt with during the WAW! Women in Autopromotec’s World event, held during the 30th edition of Autopromotec, a biennial exhibition dedicated to the automotive aftermarket (Bologna, 21st-24th May 2025).
In her opening speech, Paola Zaccheroni, public affairs manager of Autopromotec, highlighted the opportunity and urgency for companies in the automotive supply chain to encourage female participation, building a more inclusive work environment, capable of attracting increasingly urgent and necessary skills. At the same time, she highlighted the need to remove the social obstacles that still too often prevent girls from accessing career paths in the sector, especially the more technical ones.
Stacey Miller, vice president of communication at the Auto Care Association, pointed out that the percentage of women who take on technical roles in the Automotive Aftermarket is very low. Furthermore, a large majority choose at some point in their career to leave a job that limited their growth, and many have experienced a bias in the workplace. Miller also displayed the commitment of Women in Auto Care, a US community with 1,850 members today supporting scholarship programs and promoting the professional leadership of women in automotive through conferences, networking, training, data, awards and much more.
The persistent gender gap is a paradox in an industry otherwise really dynamic and constantly evolving, as well as a missed opportunity considering the current and wide shortage of workforce. Suffice it to say that less than half of the engineering graduate women are working in the Automotive Aftermarket.
The gender gap matter was dealt with during the WAW! Women in Autopromotec’s World event, held during the 30th edition of Autopromotec, a biennial exhibition dedicated to the automotive aftermarket (Bologna, 21st-24th May 2025).
In her opening speech, Paola Zaccheroni, public affairs manager of Autopromotec, highlighted the opportunity and urgency for companies in the automotive supply chain to encourage female participation, building a more inclusive work environment, capable of attracting increasingly urgent and necessary skills. At the same time, she highlighted the need to remove the social obstacles that still too often prevent girls from accessing career paths in the sector, especially the more technical ones.
Stacey Miller, vice president of communication at the Auto Care Association, pointed out that the percentage of women who take on technical roles in the Automotive Aftermarket is very low. Furthermore, a large majority choose at some point in their career to leave a job that limited their growth, and many have experienced a bias in the workplace. Miller also displayed the commitment of Women in Auto Care, a US community with 1,850 members today supporting scholarship programs and promoting the professional leadership of women in automotive through conferences, networking, training, data, awards and much more.
