#SheLooksLikeMe

Laura Ryan (GMA) founded Meat Business Women (MBW), a global professional network for women working in the sector and committed to creating positive change for the global meat sector narrative. Latest news from MBW here:

A global campaign backed by leading meat businesses has been launched to change perceptions of careers in the meat industry, highlight female role models and encourage more women to join the sector.

‘She Looks Like Me’ will showcase the breadth of roles and career options that exist in the meat supply chain and feature images and video testimony from women who work in the global meat industry. It will run across social and digital channels, including LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter, throughout 2021.

A first of its kind for the meat industry, the campaign aims to challenge stereotypes about working in meat and put a human face to the sector at a time when it faces increased public scrutiny and pressure to become more diverse. Last year, a report commissioned by Meat Business Women revealed women make up just 36% of the meat industry’s global workforce and hold just 5% of chief executive roles.

Laura Ryan, global chair of Meat Business Women, which created ‘She Looks Like Me’, says: “To attract and retain more female talent, the meat industry needs more visible role models and showcase a wider variety of roles. Many people still think working in the meat industry means being a farmer or working on the production line – and they often think it means being a man. By championing real women who work in our sector, ‘She Looks Like Me’ will shine a light on the meat industry in a way that’s never been done before, giving it a human – and female – face and showing the career options that exist.”

The launch of the campaign on 26 May will be marked with the release of a video (here) featuring over 50 women working for leading meat business around the world, including CEOs, farmers, retailers, technical, commercial and NPD managers as well as those in finance and production roles.

This will be followed by a series of ‘day in the life’ videos providing a more detailed glimpse behind the scenes of working life in the meat sector. The first video will star Marks & Spencer trading manager Hannah Thirkill.

Meat Business Women has created a digital toolkit, including social media visuals, to help meat businesses and individuals upload their own #shelookslikeme content, humanise the jobs they do and more widely promote career opportunities in their sector. The toolkit is free of charge and available here

Meat Business Women members can access enhanced resources here

Laura Ryan adds: “We are encouraging everyone in the meat industry – businesses and individuals – to download the digital resources from the Meat Business Women website, share our campaign videos and post their own #shelookslikeme content. Help us showcase female talent and spread the word about the fantastic career opportunities in the meat sector.”