Aviation - with a 40% female workforce - has been more successful than other transport modes in the drive for gender equality. But there's still some way to go in terms of attracting female youngsters into the relevant scientific and technological learning streams and in providing career opportunities and re-entry paths for women taking a break to raise their families. And despite the fact that equality is embedded into corporate human resources policies everywhere, the reality is that the ascendency of female executives into transport's truly senior roles is still statistically sparse - both in the boardrooms and on the flight decks.
To level the playing field, the EU recently launched 'Women in Transport - Platform for change' - a platform whereby a more public and more prominent focus can be brought around the gender equality agenda within the transportation sector. The platform also enables representatives from Europe's transport ecosystems to discuss a variety of initiatives which promote a more equitable distribution of gender across the workforce.
These initiatives span the entire career lifecycle, from inspiring girls at school who might be considering learning STEM subjects, through schemes which encourage induction into universities, as well as flexible working arrangements that facilitate part-time jobs or re-entry into the workplace so that women can apply their talents meaningfully and flourish professionally in the transport sector - without having to sacrifice family life.
See SESAR "Women in Aviation" pages
Gender equality in aviation is gathering momentum, and the Women in Transport - Platform for Change will enable women to accelerate at full throttle. Click here to get onboard.