Originally published here.

It is clear that there is ample room for improvement in the civil aviation industry tomake it more equal, less discriminatory and more attractive and accessible to women.There is not only a need to redress the gender pay gap, but also the occupationalsegregation of women within the industry. Measures need to be adopted for this purposeprior to and during education and training to improve the access of women to the sector. Itis also clear that many steps are already being taken in this respect. Over the past decade,many airlines have introduced equality and diversity programmes that are acceleratinggender equality in the sector. It is useful in this regard to take stock of the good practicesalready introduced by industry champions, as the IATA 25by2025 initiative is doing.The seven primary drivers for transformation identified by the United Nations Secretary- General‟s High-Level Panel on Women‟s Economic Empowerment offer a clear framework in this regard:

Tackling adverse norms and promoting positive role models

Ensuring legal protection and reforming discriminatory laws and regulations

Recognizing, reducing and redistributing unpaid work and care

Building assets

Digital, financial and property

Changing business culture and practice

Improving public sector practices in employment and procurement

Strengthening visibility, collective voice and representation

It is also important to measure progress in achieving gender equality. Policies on paytransparency, including requirements for reporting and protecting the right of workers toshare information, can shed light on gender-based pay differences and facilitate redress.Experience has shown that affirmative action plays an essential role in combating genderinequality.

The increased participation of women in civil aviation and the elimination of allforms of discrimination will require active contributions from all stakeholders:Governments, international organizations, and particularly the ILO and ICAO, employer and industry organizations, workers‟ organizations and enterprises.

You can read the complete article here.