[ad_1]
Jennifer Knight is ITA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Shopper Items, Supplies Industries, Essential Minerals and Metals
Ladies’s Historical past Month is a time to honor the legacies of girls who got here earlier than us and stay up for the probabilities for girls and women. On the Worldwide Commerce Administration (ITA), we consider that investing in younger ladies means investing in a future the place ladies can lead with out limitation. We additionally consider in committing ourselves to variety, fairness, inclusion, and accessibility not solely by way of phrases, but additionally by way of actions. This begins with addressing the boundaries to inclusive financial development and empowering ladies proper right here in our personal communities.
Just lately, I attended a presentation by three Style & Attire Grasp’s college students on the College of Delaware, Kendall Ludwig, Miranda Rack, and Hannah Laurits, hosted on the Division of Commerce. Their analysis explored alternatives for sustainable attire and U.S. management in technical textiles manufacturing in sectors like medication, automotives and past. The presentation additionally highlighted the competitiveness and up to date development of U.S.-made textile and attire producers.
Ladies make up half of the world’s inhabitants, however as of 2023, solely 29.2% of the U.S. manufacturing workforce was made up of girls. This statistic is reflective of the challenges that also exist for girls within the labor market. However the place there’s a problem, there may be additionally alternative.
In 2023 alone, U.S. exports of textiles and attire amounted to $24.8 billion. As a part of my duties in furthering ITA’s mission to strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. trade, I discovered the depth and timing of the presentation spectacular because it dove into area of interest matters essential to customers, manufacturers, and retailers – all essential stakeholders ITA goals to serve. However much more so, the presentation confirmed the management and tenacity embodied by this subsequent era of girls leaders by way of the dedication the scholars confirmed to the subject.
We all know that communities thrive when ladies are totally built-in into the workforce. That’s why it’s so essential to encourage women at a younger age to pursue careers in Science, Know-how, Engineering, and Arithmetic (STEM) and associated fields which give skillsets wanted in a spread of vital sectors and industries. ITA is dedicated to uplifting ladies, and women as a result of as Underneath Secretary Lago typically says, “It’s not solely the fitting factor to do, but it surely additionally makes good enterprise sense – for sustainable, inclusive development.”
Younger professionals who’re focused on making a extra inclusive economic system can be taught extra about internship and profession alternatives at ITA on our web site!
