Being a Women in Aviation Today

As much as the aviation industry has long been the beacon of adventure and innovation. For women in this field, it represents both incredible opportunity and ongoing challenges. Today, while hopeful, I am aware of the undeniable reality that our work is far from done.

The reason we need to pay attention to aviation is because it's a key indicator for women's rights in male dominated industries.

It's easy for this to slip under the radar because it's not film, fashion or another more prominent industry. However, women's rights have been stagnating in this crucial industry, and in some cases regressing.

Recent events, particularly the tragic incident in Washington, have intensified the situation. While I am not an expert on the circumstances, what has troubled me most is the reaction to the event. The aviation community has shown strong support for the aircrew involved, which has been heartening.

However, I have also witnessed deeply concerning developments. Pilots I know have reported an increase in passengers walking off flights upon realising a woman is in the cockpit.

The comments sections of social media posts reveal a worrying trend of stating that female pilots are 'EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) hires' who are unqualified for the job, without any consideration for the fact that all pilots must meet the same extremely high standards set by global authorities to be a commercial pilot, regardless of gender, ethnicity or any other factor.

Perhaps these are all coincidences - but they certainly align with a troubling global trend that demonstrates women are still experiencing continuing and varying degrees of sexism.

I am not comparing the aviation industry to the violations of women's rights that we see happening globally. But is the aviation industry the proverbial canary in the coal mine for other STEM and traditionally male-dominated fields?

If so, we must act now.

This moment underscores why it is more important than ever to expand our work at Elevate(her) Aviation and support women in aviation.

We must also strengthen our alliances and work collectively toward greater equity in the industry. True change happens when we all participate in the conversation.

Not every woman will choose a career in aviation - and that's okay! But every woman should have the opportunity to pursue her chosen field while feeling respected, supported, and valued.