Tell us about yourself, where you are from, and what you do today at Trelleborg.

Anita Lazar (AL): I am from Sweden and I’m a second-generation Assyrian immigrant. I started with Trelleborg in 2004 at the Customer Solution Center in Sweden and since then I have embarked on two relocations and expatriate experiences, with the last one turning into a permanent position with Trelleborg in the United States. I currently hold the role of Program Manager for our Project Leadership Services team in Industrial Americas.

Tina Hedlund (TH): I am the HR manager at Trelleborg Ersmark in Skellefteå in the northern part of Sweden. As an HR Manager I provide operational, strategic and specialist support. One of my main objectives is to increase engagement by having a high focus on leadership, communication, and well-being of our employees. I started at Trelleborg in 2020 and before that I worked as an HR Manager in the mining industry, a traditionally male-dominated profession, for 15 years.

Susha Pramod (SP): I live in Bangalore, India. As an e-Learning Team Lead I am responsible for bringing continual e-Learning solutions across the organization. My focus is to build, manage, and guide teams for the successful delivery of high-quality web-based training, microlearning, animated and interactive videos. I collaborate with stakeholders and product owners globally on projects from inception to completion to ensure success and great outcomes.

Anne-Marie Koch (AK): I live in Stuttgart, Germany and have worked for Trelleborg since early 2022. As a Marketing Intelligence Manager, I focus on topics related to market research and information seeking of any kind. 


What kind of cultural biases or barriers exist in your country specifically for women in technology and how do you overcome them?

AL: In the US it is still a male dominant space, but we have more strong female leaders at various levels. Having worked in three different countries, each comes with its unique experiences. While I have never directly been told I cannot do something because I am a woman, I have experienced subtle questioning and body language that indicated differently. At times there is a sense of needing to “prove oneself”. My formula for overcoming these types of challenges to let my work speak for itself. When have a task to complete, I give it may all with humbleness to constantly reflect, learn and grow. 

TH: In Sweden, women have worked in technology for a long time. However, there are challenges getting younger female students interested in technology. We need to be role models to show them that the industry is attractive. It’s clean, highly automated and an exciting business. One underlying factor I could see for disparity is that humans have a natural tendency to gravitate towards people who are like us - gender included. To make sure this doesn´t occur, Swedish anti-discrimination hiring laws exist.

SP: Traditional Indian culture expects women to prioritize family and household responsibilities over careers. This discourages women from pursuing or staying in technology fields. Moreover, females are usually considered softhearted which suppresses their chances of becoming empowered leaders. 

To overcome these barriers in India, it is important to develop a support system for women employees. Companies and employers need to provide flexible working hours so that women can balance their personal and professional lives, offer professional development training that helps women employees be self-confident, competitive, and motivated. Finally, we need to educate co-workers/higher authorities to be sensitive about the issue and support the female members. 

AK: Generally speaking, society, government entities and companies in Germany have done a lot of work to open the corporate world for women in various levels and proficiencies. However, there are a few biases that still exist. I believe it mostly comes down to women sometimes having to prove their competence/skills a little more than male colleagues, especially when it comes to technology. In my experience, if there are real barriers for women, they usually involve individuals with dusty world views, and I tend to try my best to prove them wrong or avoid them - everything else would be wasted potential.


In what ways is your country specifically more encouraging for women in technology and manufacturing than other countries?

AL: In my experience it depends on the individual. Opportunities exist for anyone willing to chase after them. For me, my father was a big supporter, advocating for education and independence. He always used to say that knowledge is the key for a bright future, and it can be gained several ways.

TH: Most workplaces in Sweden recognize groups consisting of both genders work better together, achieve better results and therefore are better for business. At school in Sweden, papers are sometimes graded anonymously at first so the teachers don’t know if the student is male or female. At universities, there are courses within the technology area that address gender equality to increase awareness and help remove cultural biases and barriers.

SP: Many Indian companies have implemented programs and policies to attract and retain women employees, such as providing flexible working arrangements and remote work options, creating a wide range of job opportunities, promoting education, training, and professional development for women, providing daycare facilities within office premises for working mothers, and creating inclusive work environments.

The Indian government has pushed for internet accessibility in remote areas which has opened opportunities for women to participate in technology and manufacturing-related work. Some Indian states have established “Women-only Tech Parks” that provide chances for skill development and entrepreneurship among women. Karnataka Government launched a free bus ride system for women which provides them the opportunity to earn more without spending money to commute.

AK: Germany’s education system is very encouraging. Girls are taught that they can become whatever they want. If they have an interest in engineering or technology, there are few boundaries to get that education. Recently, educational institutions marketed technology and business-related degrees or programs specifically towards women to help create open mindedness. 


How can we break down these barriers and challenges across countries and cultures?  

AL: Continue efforts like this one, allowing us to tell our stories and share our experiences. Something I always do when faced with a challenge or task, is to put myself into the other individuals’ shoes and try to see it from their perspective. While I may not always agree, it does in most cases give me the understanding and therefore also a resolution of how to approach the situation. Let us understand each other and work together for change!

TH: I think discussions with managers is a great place to start to break down barriers. A few years back, I had a discussion with a manager at the company I was working for at the time about men recruiting other men and he didn’t agree. A few days later, he came and told me that he had given this some thought and reflected about his behavior when recruiting and he agreed that subconsciously he had chosen male candidates before female candidates and hadn’t reflected that this could be a result of cultural bias and he apologized!

SP: Michelle Obama said, “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish”. I believe education is one of the most important means of empowering women which helps them to enhance their knowledge, skills, self-confidence, decision-making power, and expansion of choices - necessary for their development process. In my experience, culturally diverse teams produce more creative and innovative results than culturally homogenous groups. We need more visionary leaders in decision-making positions who can help formulate the right policies which will give opportunities for women to grow in the company. 

AK: I would go with visibility and structural access. I believe especially young women should be able to see strong female role models in all proficiencies, on all levels and within all cultural settings. At the same time equal structural access to education, positions, equal salaries and support should be there in all countries.