In many industries there are male- or female-dominated professions where one gender constitutes more than two-thirds of the workforce. Though aviation has had a more predominantly male workforce in Central Asia, in the region, and worldwide, there has been a gradual shift with a rapid increase in the number of women in the industry.
According to the International Association of Pilots, the percentage of female pilots worldwide averages 5%, with India leading at 13% of women piloting aircraft. It is noteworthy that the ‘feminization’ of civil aviation is also observed in Kazakhstan, where women still encounter prejudices and stereotypes, but demonstrate outstanding achievements in aviation.
In Kazakhstan, at the highest level of the state apparatus, there is a responsible attitude towards ensuring gender equality. In addition to the State laws that guarantee equal rights and opportunities for men and women, there is a national Gender Equality Strategy, as well as a requirement for employers to increase the proportion of women in leadership positions.
Progress began with the career choices of yesterday’s schoolgirls. The Civil Aviation Academy in Almaty (Kazakhstan) observed an interesting trend with the number of girls opting for various aviation specialties increasing. Over the past three years, the proportion of incoming girls has grown from 19% in 2021 to 25% in 2023. There is the particularly impressive increase in the number of girls aspiring to become pilots, from 10% to 15% over the same period. The first female student was admitted to the Academy’s pilot program in 2005, and since then, women have become increasingly represented in this field.
The number of women working in the civil aviation industry is increasing. Just recently, Saltanat Tompieva was appointed as the Chairwoman of the Civil Aviation Committee, starting her career as a regular specialist in the civil aviation industry with 26 years of experience. There are 13 executives in the Civil Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan and four are women. Among the management of the industry is the General Director of the airport in Aktau, the third largest city in Kazakhstan, Meruert Zholdybayeva. In the Civil Aviation Academy, Bayan Zhurtybayeva serves as a board member and Director of Development.
Impressive results are also demonstrated by the female graduates of the Civil Aviation Academy. There are chief pilots like Diana Ibraeva and a graduate, Ardana Botay, who chose a military career and currently commands a crew of multifunctional fighters. Akerke Shopataeva, a mother of four, pilots a helicopter. Another example is a fully female crew, consisting of a chief pilot, a co-pilot, and two flight attendants, who became a sensation on social media and in the press in the middle of last year. All members of this crew were born and educated in Kazakhstan (the co-pilot Azhar Nesipbayeva is also a graduate of the Academy). Their stories might be different, but they are all united in their passions for the sky and their desire to reach higher in them.
Kazakhstan provides a unique opportunity for applicants to become a pilot by means of a government grant. The Civil Aviation Academy is the country’s only higher education institution that trains flight and ground personnel and it will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. Throughout its history, the institution has trained over 7,500 qualified professionals. Moreover, among the Academy’s graduates there are also citizens from near and far abroad.
Gender equality has come a long way in recent decades. There are increasingly inspiring examples – Mitsuko Tottori recently became the President of Japan Airlines. There are more achievements to strive for, and the biggest one will be to to see more Kazakhstani women among the leaders in the aviation industry.
Kazakhstan, like the rest of the world, faces a shortage of aviation specialists. In the country, where women and men have equal access to education, more women are taking senior management positions, and women’s rights are significantly expanding. In this context, the Civil Aviation Academy can serve an important role when it comes to making changes in the aviation industry.
Female students have equal opportunities when it comes to applying and being admitted in educational programmes and achieving academic performance. Women teach at the Academy and work in science, contributing to gender equality and equal rights. Overall, higher education institutions can help eliminate gender inequality in society as a whole, and in domestic aviation in particular, gently breaking stereotypes, to become a positive force on the path to gender equality.
About the author
Juldyz Chalimbetova is the Head of Corporate Communications at the Civil Aviation Aacademy in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She joined the Academy in January 2022 with more than twenty years experience in public relations and marketing.