President of Women in Aviation (Middle East) Mervat Sultan has revealed that the UAE aviation industry has witnessed an increase in the number of women employees. Presently, almost 27,000 women work in the aviation sector, making up 42% of the total workforce.
Speaking at the Women in Aviation 10th Anniversary Conference, she highlighted that women are actively participating in the industry and are choosing aviation as their career path.
Mervat further stressed the importance of ‘women empowerment’ for society’s progress. According to her, educating and training women is vital for their growth and producing job opportunities in the aviation industry.
She remarked that women are contributing to various fields of aviation, including engineering, air traffic control, medicine, technology, and legal services, and not just limited to being pilots.
First Lieutenant Pilot at Dubai Police Air Wing, Sheikha Mozah Bint Marwan Al Maktoum, acknowledged the gender gap in the aviation industry and demanded a solution.
Mozah said that she has launched Shehana, an association for women in aviation to promote gender balance via partnerships at the local, regional, and international levels.
President of Boeing (Middle East, Turkey, and Africa), Kuljit S. Ghata-Aura, commended UAE’s efforts in empowering women.
He noted that Boeing signed a pledge with 15 UAE-based companies in December last year to raise women’s representation in leadership roles to 30% by 2025.
