In a move to address the significant gender imbalance in the UK logistics sector, sustainable and zero emission delivery service company, Zedify, has launched an innovative recruitment drive aimed at encouraging more women into the industry.

The company recently hosted an interactive event in Hoxton called ‘Women Delivering the Future,’ offering attendees the opportunity to explore careers in cargo bike delivery and the broader logistics sector.

The initiative comes as a response to stark statistics showing that women comprise only 19% of the logistics workforce, with 73% of women living in urban areas not cycling at all.

Rob King, CEO of Zedify, emphasised the commercial imperative behind the drive for greater gender diversity: "Studies show that gender-diverse teams are 47 percent more profitable, and we see the positive effects of balanced teams every day. Our own data reveals that our mixed-gender delivery teams are not only more efficient but also report greater job satisfaction."

The event featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including Caz Connelly and Georgia Yexley, Co-Founders of Loud Mobility, and Brittany Edgen, a Zedify Hub Manager who began her career as a rider. Attendees had the opportunity to network with industry leaders and gain practical insights into logistics careers.

Rebecca Young, Zedify Brand Manager, highlighted the company's commitment to action over words and said: "This event is one of our first major steps towards unlocking our riding roles for more women. It's all very well saying that we need more gender balance in our teams, but this is a tough nut to crack and we know words are not enough; we think a proactive, bold approach is needed if we're to see real change."

The initiative has already shown promising results, with four women expressing interest in trial shifts following the event.

 Caz Conneller, Director of Community and Culture at Loud Mobility, praised the evening's success and added: "Role models and opportunities are absolutely vital if we want to steer this fast-moving, exciting sector in a more balanced direction. This is exactly what we created on Thursday evening at Women Delivering the Future."

King emphasised that this recruitment drive is just the beginning, with more events planned for the future.

"With many of the forward-thinking, sustainability-minded brands we partner with being led by women, this initiative aligns perfectly with our mission to build better cities, better deliveries, and a more equitable society," he concluded.