Stereotypes, struggles and SDG 5: supporting “sheroes” of supply chain

Purpose The aim of the study is to identify the barriers women face in the male-dominated supply chain (SC) industry and apply the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and MICMAC approach to understand these barriers with an emphasis on Industry 5.0 (I5.0) and Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) in a developing country like India. Design/methodology/approach The Scopus database was used to collate data, and SC expert opinions were used to detect the crucial barriers while concentrating on four theories, namely, gendered organizations theory, role congruity theory, gender equity theory and social justice theory. ISM was applied to understand the relationship among the barriers by ranking them. MICMAC was implemented based on their driving and dependence powers. Findings From the 15 barriers extracted, governmental laws and policies [B5] and leadership styles [B7] have the highest driving power, which need more focus. While work–life balance [B3] and job security and satisfaction [B6] have the highest dependence power. Research limitations/implications The ISM model highlights theoretical insight into the barriers which women face and the interrelationships between them. This helps stakeholders understand the challenges and promote gender diversity initiatives in the SC organizations. Practical implications Stakeholders can design inclusive processes and policies to support women to climb the ranks in the SC organization for SDG 5 fulfilment. Originality/value The novelty lies in the connections between SC, SDG 5, I5.0 and the identified barriers for women's SC participation using ISM and MICMAC.