ESCI 421-1

Engineering Management

Assignment No. 1

Gender in Aviation Industry

Name: Figuerrez, Jonathan Cris A.

Rating:

Engr. Bryan Jake B. Amaro

Instructor

Assignment No.1

Title: Gender Issue in Aviation Industry

Name: Figuerrez, Jonathan Cris A.

Submission Date: December 7, 2015

Subject Section: ESCI 421 - 1

Instructor: Engr. Bryan Jake B. Amaro

GENDER ISSUE IN AVIATION

Women are vastly under-represented in the aviation and aerospace sectors and
while change has been slow, new education policies and more visible role models are
shifting the status quo. Frances Cook spoke to the UK's Royal Aeronautical Society and
Women 1st to find out what barriers exist and what can be done to address the gender
imbalance.
It is difficult to believe that in the 21st century, with so much emphasis on gender
equality in the workplace, that women are so vastly under-represented in the aviation and
aerospace sectors. While women are very visible in customer service and administrative
roles - in the UK around two-thirds of ticketing and sales personnel are female - behind
the closed doors of the cockpits, the hangars and the board rooms, it is a very different
story.
Male to female imbalance
The number of women in 'non-traditional' roles, such as pilots and engineers,
exposes a very uneven balance of men and women in the workplace, which exists right
the way up to board level. According to Women in Aviation, International, in the US 6.6%
of women are pilots and just 2.2% are female mechanics and, in Canada, statistics show
that just 5.2% of licensed aeroplane pilots are women.
Figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) show that in the UK only 3.3% of
licensed air transport pilots are female. According to the Royal Academy of Engineering
only six percent of the UK's engineering professionals are female and a Labour Force
Survey from 2004 reveals that there is an even lower proportion of women working in
aerospace than engineering in general (11,% compared with 19%).
Research by the Royal Aeronautical Society's (RAeS) Advisory Group - which
culminated in the creation of The Future for Women in Aviation and Aerospace report and
the group becoming the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee - found that this
problem was "further exacerbated as women progress towards the boardroom or senior
command".

Page 1 of 5 pages

Assignment No.1

Title: Gender Issue in Aviation Industry

The true barriers lie in the society?

Researchers have proved that there are no significant physical differences between men and
women that would prevent females from becoming successful pilots. However, the low statistics of
women in aviation suggests that barriers do exist. According to Mariola Ziolkowski, the main barrier for
women is the responsibility for the family.
Some said that the challenging working hours and the night shifts prevented them from joining
the aviation. However, I must say that this is a kind of a contradiction, because at the same time 80%
of the cabin crew are women! So how come the working hours of a cabin crew member are
acceptable, but the working hours of a pilot are not? In my opinion we still have the stereotype that a
womans role is to take care of her family and to support her partners career. Of course you cannot
say that there are no women in the aviation sector whatsoever there are, but there are so few of
them who hold high managing or captains positions. The lack of confidence is another reason why we
see very few women in high positions. A lot of women do not apply even for them because they are
afraid that they wont be accepted. Women who manage to make it to the top have to go through
many barriers and face difficult situations. The first Emirati woman to reach the rank of a co-pilot
Salma Al Baloushi told about an incredulous foreign colleague on her first commercial flight. He asked
me, can you fly this plane? I said, I fly with my hands, not with my scarf it covers my head, not my
brain, comments Mariola Ziolkowski.
There is a significant amount of research which shows that women are not satisfied with the
current situation, but many of them do not take any actions to change it. We do not try to teach
women about what is right and what is wrong. We only seek that the achievements of other women
are acknowledged and set as an example, explains Mariola Ziolkowski.

The differences between male and female

Females and males are different in the level of physical, physiological and
psychological composition. These differences can affect their ability to endure stresses in
flight. Questions are raised regarding males and females being equally fit to fly aircraft
safely. It is important to recognize the differences between male and female that can
impact flying operations. It has been established in lots of studies that variation in
aptitudes, skills and cognitive abilities differ among male and female. The largest
cognitive gender differences are found in visual-spatial abilities.Spatial ability includes
accurately visualizing an object as it rotates in space. This is a practical skills needed to
operate in a three-dimensional environment such as when flying.
Page 2 of 5 pages

Assignment No.1

Title: Gender Issue in Aviation Industry

A huge amount of research has proven that males possess greater visual spatial
skills than females. However, females on the other hand may have better verbal skills
CONCLUSION
than males.
These skills
are important to obtain proficiency in take off and landing
CAPT.
CATHERINE
CASTILLO
procedures, traffic avoidance and basic maneuvering of aircraft in flight and on ground.
Verbal skills on the other hand are important to maintain safe air traffic control
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is a crew
male-dominated
industry.
entering
communication
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facilitate
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coordination.
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there are
some into this
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women
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Aimee
Carandang
and aviatrixes. Some of the physiological considerations are the G-forces, Hypoxia and
motion sickness while some issues regarding medical are menstruation disorder and
AIMEE CARANDANG
or Ma.
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Carandang
Gloria is
woman
pregnancy.
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been
contributing
to aviation
in the
onefirst
wayFilipino
or another
for almost
CAPT
MONESSA
CATUNCAN
commercial
pilot.
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also
the
1st
Filipina
pilot
to
fly
as
a
full-fledged
captain
for
as long as men have, yet stereotypes still govern peoples perceptions of womenthe
flyers.
Philippine
Airlines
in
1993.
Besides
she's
regarded
as
Asia's
first
female
pilot.
On
July
6,
According to statistics here in the Philippines , a number of certified aviatrixes is still
1993
PAL's
first
female
pilot,
Maria.
Aurora
Amada
"Aimee"
Carandang,
flew
for
the
first
small at less than 2% but the number is steadily growing .Some of the remarkable first
time as pilots
a full-fledged
captain on a Fokker
50 flight from
Manila
to Baguio.
Filipina
are Capt.
Capt.
Castillo
Col. Go.rules
Female
MANILA,
Philippines
- InCatuncan,
the tough Capt.
world Carandang,
of fighter pilots
where
maleand
chauvinism
aviators
achieved
remarkable
feats woman
of skills beat
and endurance
they still
had to
supreme,have
an intrepid
29-year-old
Filipino
the odds toyet
become
thehave
first Filipina
defy
prejudices.
Prejudices
exist.
are
an undeniable
within
to flysocial
the supersonic
F-16
fighter jet
that They
ferried
combat
missionsforce
in Iraq
as a society.
member of
Col.United
Ramona
P. Go
the
States
Air Force (USAF).
Capt.
Monessa
Catuncan,
parents
were originally
Pasay
RAMONA
PALABRICA
GOwhose
of Iloilo,
Philippines,
a colonelfrom
in the
AFP, City
is theand
firstOlongapo
woman
City,
waspilot
featured
the AsianAlone
Journal
for her
remarkable
achievements
asSkyhawk
an F-16
military
in the by
Philippines.
in the
cockpit
of the Army
Cessna 172
fighter
and
honor
to both
the U.S.
theoff
Philippines.
trainer pilot
planethat
Nobrought
862 for pride
her first
solo
flight,
she was
able and
to take
and land the aircraft
at Fort Magsaysay Army Aerodrome in Nueva Ecija, becoming a full-fledged pilot on Nov.
3, 1986.
Born on 21 March 57 at San Dionisio, Iloilo, Col. Go is a graduate of BS Chemistry at
Central Philippine University on 22 Mar 77 and earned a Masters in Development
Management at Asian Institute of Management (AIM) on 09 May 02.

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