Strengthening its drive for improving gender diversity, Maersk has hired 84 women to run its newly inaugurated warehouse in North India.

A.P. Moller – Maersk  recently opened the doors to its new warehouse in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh. Located within the premises of the company’s Container Freight Station , the 100,000 sq. ft. warehouse is the first of its kind, with women running and operating all the jobs and tasks in the facility. Hand-picked from the nearby villages, Maersk has hired, trained, and created jobs for 84 women who needed employment, but did not have the right opportunities.

He added, “While expanding our warehouses across the country, we wanted to create opportunities for women in a traditionally male-dominated sector. As per the 2021 census, Dadri has only 6% working women of its total population, and our team on the ground had a strong desire to contribute towards a change in that respect.”

When the doors to the new warehouse in Dadri opened on 23rd September 2022, there were 84 women ready to run the facility by taking charge of every task –from security and housekeeping to operating forklifts, handling cargo, operating computers, working on Tally jobs and managing clerical work. But creating employment for all these women was not a task achieved overnight.

While some women could take up unskilled and semiskilled jobs immediately, others had to undergo skilling that involved operating Material Handling Equipment (MHE) such as reach trucks and forklifts. During April and May, the institute and trainers were identified to undertake the training for these women in specialised tasks. After much preparation, these women started receiving their training from July onwards.

He added, “The 84 women have joined a total workforce of 350 employees at our Dadri CFS, and we are hugely motivated to improve the gender representation at the facility further.”

Source: Maersk