Gender Equality In Aerospace : How is India Paving the way?

Written by Madison Dooley

The benefits of promoting a varied and balanced workforce are widely broadcast. With diversity fostering elevated levels of creativity, innovation, problem-solving, and customer service, it’s unsurprising aviation organisations are attempting to bridge the gender gap. Whilst the number of females in aviation occupations with the largest gender gaps is increasing, the percentage total is on the whole relatively static. 

Over the last 60 years, the percentage of female commercial pilots has increased by around 1% per decade, whilst mechanics have achieved less than half this rate. Furthermore, the last 15 years have seen inconsequential percentage increases, which raises the question as to whether our initiatives targeted at women are actually working. India, with its 15% of female pilots tops the worldwide leaderboard, dwarfing the UK’s 4.7%. So how has India achieved and retained this percentage and what can we learn from them when implementing our initiatives in the UK?

Visible role models are commonly considered a vital factor for inspiring the next generation and India certainly has a rich history of female aviation achievers. 1989 saw Nivedita Bhasin become the youngest commercial airline captain followed by India’s first female astronaut, Kalpana Chawla in 1997. Successful Indian women in the airline industry have strived to educate girls about the opportunities aviation provides and this persistence has led to even more firsts. Harpreet A De Singh became the first female to head an Indian airline in 2020, the year after saw an all-female pilot crew complete the longest non-stop commercial flight by an Indian airline and Anny Divya became the youngest commander to fly the Boeing 777. These successes have put female trailblazers in the spotlight, with many believing these role models have encouraged women to step foot into a profession many didn’t even know existed to them.

India has not only promoted their female figures but the profession itself. STEM subjects have long been promoted to both genders in India with 43% of STEM graduates being women. In comparison, the UK sees just 26% of core STEM degrees obtained by females. STEM subjects provide the foundations for many aviation careers, pilot and engineer roles being prime examples, therefore early exposure is key. The National Cadet Corps, a program for India’s young has developed a yearning for aviation in many girls with training including microlight operation. Girls grow up with an interest in aviation and being a pilot is not necessarily seen as an exclusively male occupation. Early exposure alongside scholarships and subsidised flight training means women are supported from their initial desire to fly to completion of training.

However, maintaining and building upon the 15% relies not only on attracting new female talent but maintaining the female talent you already have. Key factors contributing to the underrepresentation of women include a negative workplace culture and lack of a work/life balance. Shockingly, 59% of women have reported they have considered leaving aviation according to the International Aviation Women’s Association, being more likely than men to be pushed out by negative experiences. Airlines in India have devised policies to try and tackle these factors, offering creches for childcare and options of a flexible contract with two weeks leave in a calendar month, until a child is 5 years old. Others include adequate paid maternity leave with options of temporary jobs on the ground for pilots and cabin crew. Some carriers provide a driver to pick up and drop off women flying late at night. These measures are hoped to make women feel more welcome and address their needs.

With such a stark percentage difference to the rest of the world, it’s certainly all eyes on India for its female representation. The question is, are these initiatives replicable in the UK and the rest of the world, and more importantly, would they have the same success? Whilst experiencing their differences, both the UK and India’s aviation industry enjoy many parallels. The journey to a balanced workforce may not be entirely the same, but India may provide a good foundation for where to start.