Barriers and Enablers of Female Participation in the Logistics Sector: A Study in the Sri Lankan Context.

Abstract

In the rapidly changing environment of Sri Lanka’s logistics sector, gender diversity remains a critical challenge. Several factors influence women's employment in this sector, resulting in a noticeable lack of female participation. Therefore, to bridge this gap, the study's primary objective was to identify the factors that impact female employment in the Sri Lankan logistics sector. The study employed qualitative methods, guided by an inductive approach, to explore the key factors. Data were collected from seventeen female participants through semi-structured interviews, with participants selected using purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns in the qualitative data, with coding performed using MAXQDA software. This study identifies the key factors that influence female employment in logistics, including work-life balance, corporate culture, educational background, and operational complexity. While the existing literature review reveals factors such as work-life balance, corporate culture, and educational background, this study introduces operational complexity as a new barrier to female participation in Sri Lankan logistics. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for industry stakeholders and policymakers, helping to address the barriers that limit female employment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s logistics sector.