In an industry where the sky is (literally) the limit, there are so many opportunities for progress and innovation. As technology rapidly accelerates, ushering us into a world of increased demands and expectations, we need a strong and sustainable aviation workforce to pilot us forward. Though an inclusive and equitable industry is key to achieving this goal, when it comes to gender, the industry is sorely lagging behind. Around the world, women are vastly underrepresented across most professions of the industry, but especially in technical and executive level positions.
According to the 2023 UN Sustainable Development Goals Report, based on existing data, it will take another 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of leadership in the workplace. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has identified aviation as one of the industries with significant room for improvement in terms of gender equality, particularly in leadership roles and STEM-related professions. Not only does this point to persisting social inequalities and bias; it also significantly hinders the industry’s capacity to reach optimal efficiency and sustainability.
ILO predicts that reducing gender gaps will result in an increase of economic activity and boost Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In fact, the McKinsey Global Institute estimated that advancing gender equality would add an estimated USD12 trillion to annual GDP. These trends also implicate the aviation industry. A recent study determined that increasing the representation of women in aviation and tackling widespread systemic barriers such as the pay gap, could actually offer economic advantages for the industry while also enhancing innovation and boosting employee engagement.
The push for gender equality in aviation is part of an even greater global imperative. The empowerment of women and girls is enshrined in the UN’s 2030 Agenda under Sustainable Development Goal 5 to “Achieve gender parity and empower all women and girls.” While progress has been made globally, systemic barriers and gaps persist. These range from pervasive bias and prejudice against women to low levels of female participation in STEM-related fields and education, and even insufficient work-life balance arrangements.
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres remarked in 2021, gender equality remains the unfinished human right struggle of this century. This is particularly true for aviation if progress continues to evolve at the current speed. Based on data ICAO released last year, the global average of women holding positions as licensed personnel (pilots, air traffic controllers and maintenance technicians) went up from 4.5% in 2016 to 4.9% in 2021. The slow shift demonstrates that there is still a very long road ahead.
To address this, ICAO is working to help increase gender equality in aviation and to set a strong example worldwide. In addition to its commitment to the 2030 Agenda, the organization is mandated to report against the UN System-Wide Action Plan (UN-SWAP) on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, an accountability framework that allows UN entities to self-assess against common system-wide performance indicators for gender equality. This activity helps to shape and inform ICAO’s own gender equality initiatives and to identify areas for improvement.
ICAO is also tackling the issue of gender equality on multiple fronts through its Gender Equality Progamme to promote the increased representation of women within the Organization, in Member States and industry more broadly. The Programme was established under Assembly Resolution A39-30 in 2017 with four main objectives:
- build capacity and enhance awareness for gender equality;
- enhance gender representation.
- increase accountability; and
- further engagement with external partners.
These objectives, supported by a dedicated Implementation Plan, were reaffirmed in the ICAO Council’s Declaration on Improving Gender Representation in ICAO’s Governing and Technical Bodies in 2021 and Resolution A41-26 at the 41st Session of the Assembly in 2022 with a call for even stronger commitments at all levels. Through the Gender Equality Programme and its Implementation Plan, ICAO is carrying-out several activities designed to increase and promote gender equality both internally and externally.
Forums like the Global Aviation Gender Summits, which took place in Cape Town, South Africa and Madrid, Spain in 2018 and 2023 respectively, provide opportunities for impactful engagement. These Summits provided a venue for ICAO to gather Member States and industry to discuss opportunities and challenges for the advancement of gender equality in aviation, and to issue powerful Calls to Action.
The inaugural Summit in 2018, jointly organized by ICAO and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), resulted in several action items including the need for more gender disaggregated data, the elimination of bias and stereotypes and greater advocacy at a global level. The 2023 Summit, hosted by Spain’s Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, built off this momentum and enabled a Call to Action which implores all actors and stakeholders across aviation and other domains to commit to a series of actions encompassed by four main pillars:
- Data collection and analysis
- Gender policies and gender mainstreaming
- Decent work, career development and working conditions
- Leadership and role models
ICAO is counting on the support of the global aviation community to help achieve these goals. The Organization is committed to working closely with its Member States, Regional Offices, and industry to advocate for real change and provide the tools and frameworks needed to empower women and girls—not just because it’s the right thing to do from a social justice perspective, but because it will help strengthen the global aviation workforce for the opportunities and challenges ahead. After all, women represent 50% of the world’s population, and therefore 50% of its potential.
Together, we can soar to greater heights and contribute to an industry that is diverse, inclusive and in turn, sustainable for generations to come. To learn more about the gender equality programme at ICAO click here, for all inquiries, please send an email here.
Celebrating women in aviation on International Women’s Day
Every year, ICAO commemorates International Women’s Day (IWD), and this year the theme was, “Only Up: for ALL Women and Girls in Aviation”. During the IWD event we watched the screening of the “Only Up” documentary that was directed and produced by Ms. Kendra Kincade, a Canadian air traffic controller and founder of the non-profit Elevate Aviation which promotes youth engagement and interest in aviation.
The film highlighted the experiences of women as they navigate careers in aviation, profiling their successes and the challenges of participating in a male-dominated industry. It paves the way for greater visibility and attention towards the gender imbalance of the aviation industry, offering insights and perspectives into how to close the gap.
The screening was preceded by a high-level panel with distinguished panelists, including:
- Ms. Kendra Kincade, Director/Producer of “Only Up” and Founder of Elevate Aviation
- Ms. Melissa Haney, Pilot, Air Inuit and cast member of “Only Up”
- Ms. Anita Adjei-Nmashie, Representative of Ghana on the Council, ICAO
- Ms. Valdís Ásta Aðalsteinsdóttiron, Representative of Iceland on the Council, ICAO
- Ms. Michele Merkle, Director, Air Navigation Bureau, ICAO
- Ms. Marina Koester, Deputy Director General of Civil Aviation, Germany
Their discussions focused on how to better uplift and support women in aviation and how to engage with the younger generations to empower them to chase their aviation dreams.
About the author:
Veronica Newbury is a Secondee to ICAO from the Government of Canada serving as an Associate Partnerships and Gender Equality Officer with the Capacity Development and Implementation Bureau. Before her current role, she worked in RPAS policy and research. She has a master’s degree in public policy and public administration from Concordia University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Carleton University. She currently resides in Montreal, Canada.
