Supporting talent – regardless of if they are men or women

Empowering women in the optical industry is the goal of the Optical Women’s Association (OWA). The organization has long been popular in the USA. Now it is also taking its first steps in Europe with the aim of supporting and promoting the professional development of women involved in all facets of the optical industry. MAFO has spoken to Nancy Gries, Co-Vice Chair International Expansion Committee and Co-Founder of Coti Vision Limited, about the hurdles women face in their careers, the importance of mentorship, and why men also play an important role.

A quick jump back in time to Mido 2025 in ­February. Mido’s first OWA event is taking place here, and the welcoming speech is being given by the first female President of Mido and ANFAO Lorraine Berton.

“What does the empowerment of women really mean?” The new president asks the group right at the beginning to give herself the answer promptly: “It means giving all women the possibility to choose, to express their talent, to have access to the same opportunities. It means acknowledging diversity as the driver of growth for businesses, for the market, and for society.”

The gender gap in data

What may sound trivial is still a serious topic today. According to Eurostat, the gender gap in the European Union was 12% in 2023. This means that women earn 12% less than men per hour. Converted, this means that women have to work 1.5 months longer per year to earn the same. This is, of course, the average, which varies greatly depending on the company and country. One reason for this is that women often work in lower-paid jobs: healthcare, education and care, for example.

The data also shows that women held only 34.7% of managerial jobs in 2021. And basically speaking, the positions that hold the highest hierarchy obviously influence the level of pay. Adding both factors, Eurostat even comes up with 23% less women earn on average.

The glass ceiling

There is a term for the phenomenon of women facing cultural and structural obstacles that make professional success more difficult. It is called the glass ceiling. Berton is the first female president ever in this position and one particular sentence still echoes in the minds of some of the participants: “I am not worried about me, the first female president of Mido and ANFAO, but I am worried how many years or decades will pass until the next woman will follow.” This shows that there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve complete gender equality – also in the optical industry.

OWA comes to Europe

One person who is actively working on this is Nancy Gries. The co-founder of Coti Vision Limited and Co-Vice Chair International Expansion Committee of the OWA has long had the goal of bringing the organization to Europe – and finally her dream became true.

The OWA was founded in 1997 in the US, and today the organization has around 1,000 members. About 7% come from outside the US.

It is a nonprofit organization, and it is fully run by volunteers. The aim now is to make the OWA even better known in Europe with the mission to empower women in the optical industry through networking, education, and peer support to create a community where women can connect and collaborate to achieve their personal and professional goals.

MAFO: Why exactly was the OWA founded?

Gries: When the OWA first started, it began with 13 women who were actually looking to have more support from each other and they had lots of questions about building their careers in the optical industry.

Such things as: What was it like to be a female in communications, in marketing, in product design, in buying? How could they get more information? And there were many women also having questions about running their own business in the optical industry.

These women got together, and they started to form this organization about how they can support each other. As a result, the OWA was officially launched and funded by sponsors. 

Today, there is a huge pool of women in this international community that you can meet in so many different ways, also via live chats. You can also look for job opportunities or research the member database. Every week there is something going on.

When I attended my first breakfast in New York, I could really not believe that there was this organization that had existed for so many years and that I had never heard of. Everybody there was only there to support each other. Due to that, I went from feeling completely alone in this industry – having to navigate things all myself – to suddenly realizing that this whole community existed. I said immediately that I needed to be part of this and that I needed to bring this to Europe.

MAFO: How is the organization doing in Europe?

Gries: What we experience here is that women are very interested in getting involved. The number of people that have turned out to our events has been phenomenal. People are clearly interested, and it is obviously an issue that we need to address. We had an event at Mido, and we will have one at Silmo.

So right now, we are just trying to get started, and we are looking for people who can go forward in the single countries and their native language, like an ambassador. Because a long-term goal is probably to have a committee of women in different countries. A chapter in the UK, a chapter in Italy, a chapter in France, or a chapter in Germany. Then you have a point of contact in each country.

People generally interested can be a member and just take advantage, or they can really commit by becoming part of the committee. 

MAFO: What do women want from the organization?

Gries: The most important desire, mentioned by our members and sponsors when asking them in surveys, is clearly networking. There is a need for women to have a place where they can meet. After we understood this request, we also put this as a priority for the European organization – finding ways for women to network together. Because here everyone can talk about all kinds of issues, and if one person is having an issue, another woman might have navigated that already and can give them advice on how they overcame those particular issues. For example, when struggling with how to return to work after having a child, by finding work-life balance or climbing the career ladder.

MAFO: How would you answer people when they say that anyone can succeed on their own if they just try hard enough?

Gries: Somehow this is true. I mean, there is probably a combination and a recipe of hard work, dedication, and focus on achieving the goal – right? If you look at athletes, for example, they have a natural talent, but it very much comes down to their drive and the sacrifice that they have made to win that gold medal.

However, when asking those that have succeeded what has led to this, most of them said that they owe their leadership position to those that gave them the mentorship or the sponsorship. Therefore, I would not underestimate how important that is for women. Often, a good mentor gave the people the opportunity to grow in a leadership position.

MAFO: One might think that the OWA’s target group is already clear from the name. Is it as simple as it looks?

Gries: Not quite. Any women involved in optics can join the OWA. They can come from any area, be it lens technicians, frame suppliers, software providers, opticians or sales. But it can also be men. That means even though they cannot become members, they are absolutely welcome to attend any social event that we organize, because the role they play is very important. In fact, we encourage men to come because the aim is to grow together by working together, supporting each other and having leadership together.

MAFO: How exactly can men support women in their job?

Gries: Men can support women in the workplace by being active mentors or sponsors. This starts with respecting women’s perspectives, ensuring their voices are heard in meetings and decision-making processes. It means speaking up against bias or inappropriate behavior, as advocating for equal opportunities by recommending women for promotions, projects, and leadership roles. Men can support workplace policies that promote equality, and using one’s influence to foster a more inclusive and empowering environment for all.

MAFO: How important is diversity in ­general, in your opinion?

Gries: Diversity in race, in gender, in disabilities and more has a role to play in the success of any company. The more diversity you can bring, the more you add to the pot. I think it is not necessarily just about the percentage of women involved in a company. It is more about making sure that you have diversity across the entirety of the company.

MAFO: Have you personally experienced hurdles in your career just because of your gender?

Gries: Yes, one hundred percent. I started my career back in 1993 in the optical industry. That means I have spent my whole professional career in this industry.

And when I started, I was the first woman that sat around the board table in our company – and I was very young. I was super eager, and I was in an export role, traveling independently around the world – I really felt I had a voice.

But one day I sat at the table after making some fantastic presentations, and I was told that I was dangerous, just because I had good looks and intelligence. So, instead of leaving that boardroom feeling encouraged and motivated – after having done a great job – it was completely the opposite.

I was meant to feel like I should not stand out. Like I should just put my head down and do a good job instead of opening my mouth. Because instead of seeing that as a compliment, it was very much a criticism for me. And I went for many years just putting my head down and working hard because I did not want to draw attention to myself.

MAFO: What would you do differently in this situation today?

Gries: If I were in that boardroom again today, I would not have been quiet. I would have said that this comment was not acceptable and not professional. But I was very young, and at that point, being a woman on my own, I did not know it any better.

So, yes, I have absolutely felt the discrimination of women in the workplace. But again – this was in the early 90s. To be very clear, we have absolutely made huge steps forward for women in the industry. But I personally have gone through that.

MAFO: We are currently seeing trends where women’s rights are being restricted. President Trump released a list with many words that should be avoided in official documents. One of those terms is “women” …

Gries: I do not want to speak about politics as the voice of the OWA, but of course I have a personal opinion on that.

In my very personal view, I think such ridiculous statements only draw attention to the gender discrepancy and will hopefully have the opposite effect. It is absurd, and it is only one example of what has happened with women’s rights in general in the US. It is a concern, but I hope that it makes women stronger to stand up and unite.

I also see many men coming forward in support of women. It is not just about women supporting women; it is also about men supporting women. I hope that good things will come from that and that there is going to be a united feeling about the absurdity of making such statements. I mean, it is ridiculous  to consider that this is even an option in our society today – in the year 2025.

MAFO: What do you think the perfect world looks like in terms of gender equality?

Gries: In a perfect world, gender inequality would no longer even exist. We need to get to a stage where we do not have to discuss the gap and the difference between the pay of men and women and the opportunities of men and women. It should just become normal that it is the same. This would be the perfect world – right?

MAFO: Thank you for the interview.