Meat Business Women (MBW) has renewed its partnerships with long-standing partners ABP UK, ABP Linden, ABP Ireland and Poland, and Cranswick plc., to further gender inclusivity across the meat industry.
As of today (Monday, December 9), all employees at ABP sites will have unlimited access to Meat Business Women’s membership resources.
Meanwhile Cranswick, after a successful unlimited membership trial in 2024, is expanding its partnership with MBW to continue providing support to employees across its operations.
ABP and Meat Business Women
Through this renewed three-year partnership, ABP has ensured that every employee in the UK, Ireland, and Poland has full access to MBW’s professional development resources, which include mentoring, masterclasses, and networking opportunities.
This strategic investment supports ABP’s commitment to increasing gender balance in a traditionally male-dominated sector and responds to findings in MBW’s 2023 Gender Representation Report, which revealed that women currently represent just 33.5% of the meat industry workforce.
By making MBW resources available to all employees, ABP said it aims to actively support the attraction, retention, and advancement of female talent.
Cranswick
UK poultry processor, Cranswick trialled unlimited MBW membership access in 2024, seeing a notable increase in female membership and engagement from male allies.
The positive outcomes from this trial, including enhanced workplace diversity and support networks, encouraged Cranswick to extend the partnership for a further two years, promoting gender inclusivity throughout the organisation.
Both ABP and Cranswick said that they understand that fostering gender inclusivity brings tangible business benefits, such as improved retention, greater employee engagement, and access to a diverse talent pipeline.
By equipping their teams with MBW resources, ABP and Cranswick are said to be setting a standard for the industry and helping to build pathways for women to advance into leadership.
Founder and global chair of Meat Business Women, Laura Ryan said: “ABP and Cranswick are setting the bar high for gender inclusivity within the meat sector.
“Their commitment to unlimited membership access is a testament to the importance they place on supporting women and allies alike, which drives meaningful progress across the industry.”
Meat Business Women
Meat Business Women works in partnership with meat businesses and the supply chain to remove the barriers that stop women from reaching their full professional potential.
It does this by focusing on five key areas: changing perceptions of the sector; moving inclusion up the agenda; tackling the broken career ladder; strengthening networks and creating visible role models; and gender-proofing working practices and patterns.
MBW is the United Nations (UN) recognised global professional network for women working across the meat industry. It was created to improve the sustainability of the meat sector and grow the pipeline of female talent in this male dominated arena
It has the strategic backing of leading manufacturers, retailers and foodservice companies as well as supporting industry organisations.
