We live in the society where gender discrimination is the part of the society. Everything is specifying for men and women. Our society forces us that this job is for men and this field relate to women.
Stereotypes and sexism are still very common in the aviation industry. The perception that the airline industry is a male enterprise remains in place via stereotypes. Traditional media and society itself project stereotypes about children. Around the age of four, children begin to recognize their gender roles with the toys they can play with. Boys can play with boy’s toys, such as cars and airplanes, and girls can play with Barbie dolls or miniature kitchen sets. This phenomenon is called gender socialization: it is usually about shared rules and expectations about how people behave based on “their sex”.
Gender diversity remains a hot topic, and in the aviation industry, it’s a big problem. However, the aviation sector continues to suffer from one of the poorest gender balance.
Stereotypes also create problems for women’s careers, as they seem “unable to adapt”. When recruiting for positions, people often look for people who “fit in”. Skills and talents are not directly examined. Instead, the characteristics someone should have in order to “fit the standard” are usually the most important factor. But why get a degree in aviation and not make a career in this industry? The masculine nature of the industry makes it difficult for women to find work or get promotions in the long run. Assumptions and prejudices about women’s leaving after having children, career goals and even women’s flight skills make it difficult for them to find work, but also lead to an uncomfortable work environment in which women are not treated equally. This affects women’s working lives and relationships with male employees. Women are expected to adapt to the male social system of aviation, rather than the business changing and becoming more welcoming to women.
Clearly, men and women are wired differently. We know from research that boys prefer cars and girls prefer dolls. When it comes to aviation, however, the assumption that women just don’t like airplanes or just aren’t interested in aviation might be incorrect. How much does a girl like or dislike flying result from exposure or non-exposure? Who can say that there aren’t more girls and women who just haven’t discovered aviation yet?
Although social media is a vector of gender stereotypes and norms, it can also be used as a platform to challenge these stereotypes. It is time for the media and the aviation industry to shatter stereotypes and abstain from the patriarchal corporate culture of organizations in order to bring female talent to the top and eventually break through the glass ceiling.
Women have had a strong hand in aviation history but have faced many setbacks along the way.
After all these years, the needle has barely moved. Now is the time to encourage women to pursue careers in the field, especially in lucrative leadership positions where the gaps are the greatest, and to ensure that a work-life balance is achieved and maintained for the future. There has never been a better time to get into aviation. With continued efforts in education and outreach, we can expect to see more women in the cockpit and, feasibly, in other higher-profile aviation roles as well.