Capacity, infra constraints and policies related to regulatory compliance must be addressed, says Sharmila H. Amin, MD, South Asia, India, Bertling Logistics India, and Convenor, Women’s Wing, The AMTOI. The need of the hour is for industrial collaboration, tech investments, planning, and sustainability, she adds.
Ritika Arora Bhola
Enlarge on the initiatives the AMTOI’s women’s wing is taking to promote women in logistics?
The women’s wing in AMTOI aims to promote gender diversity and networking opportunities. It offers mentorship programmes, and organises events or workshops tailored to address the challenges faced by women in our industry. They focus on empowering women in leadership roles, providing skill development programmes, and fostering a supportive community within the sector.
What are the crucial pain points today?
Several pain points affecting air cargo stakeholders today are as follows:
Capacity constraints: the industry faces challenges related to limited cargo capacity due to reduced passenger flights during COVID and imbalance of supply and demand on certain routes.
Operational efficiency: ensuring smooth operations amidst increasing air cargo volumes requires efficient handling infrastructure as well as technology integration.
Regulatory compliance: compliance with evolving safety, security, and customs regulations adds complexity and cost to operations, especially across global borders.
Infra constraints: airports and cargo facilities may face limitations in infra, including storage, handling, and transportation facilities, leading to congestion and delays.
Sustainability: carbon emissions and sustainability are becoming vital for stakeholders, necessitating investments in eco-friendly technologies and practices.
Digitalisation and technology adoption: stakeholders grapple with legacy systems and manual processes, hindering the adoption of digital technologies for end-to-end visibility, tracking, and efficiency improvements.
Supply chain disruptions: natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, or global health crises such as COVID can lead to supply chain interruptions and affect the cargo flow.
As the head of the women’s wing, how do you plan to take it forward?
My focus would be on advancing the AMTOI’s goals and objectives, while promoting gender diversity and empowerment within the multimodal transport industry. To plan the association’s forward progress, I would consider the following steps:
Status assessment: conduct a comprehensive assessment of the status of women’s representation, participation, and challenges within the industry. This would involve gathering data, soliciting feedback from members, and identifying areas for improvement.
Planning: to develop a plan outlining the priorities, initiatives, and goals among others of the women’s wing over the coming years. This plan should align with the broader objectives of AMTOI and address the specific needs and concerns of women in the cargo industry.
Raise awareness: engaging with members, stakeholders, and partners to raise awareness of the women’s wing and its objectives. This could involve organising events, webinars, and networking opportunities to foster connections and collaboration within the community.
Skill development: implement programmes to enhance skills, capabilities, and leadership potential of women in the industry. This will include training workshops, mentorship programmes, and professional development opportunities tailored to the needs of women professionals.
In the coming months, my plan for the AMTOI women’s wing will include many works as follows:
- Launching a series of professional development workshops and training tailored to women’s needs in multimodal transport industry.
- Organising networking events and webinars to facilitate connections and collaboration among women.
- Advocating policies and initiatives to encourage gender diversity and involvement within the industry, including opportunities for career advancement.
- Gathering feedback from members and stakeholders to ensure our initiatives are responsive to their needs.
Do you feel women are being treated equally in the industry now?
Progress has been made in recent years for gender equality in industries. But challenges still exist. In the male-dominated multimodal transport industry, there has been a push for participation of women. Initiatives such as mentorship programmes, networking opportunities, and advocacy for diversity and inclusion have been established to support women’s advancement in the sector.
