8 Misconceptions About Women and Sexism in Aviation

8 Misconceptions About Women and Sexism in Aviation8 Misconceptions About Women and Sexism in AviationThere are a lot of misconceptions about women in aviation floating around out there, and while the sexism topic gets old for some of you, it remains a conversation that we need to have. As much as wed all like to believe that were just beating a dead horse with feminist debates about women in aviation, some of us believe that its an issue thats worthy of attention. Although it can be subtle, sexism in aviation can also be blatant. An online search for statistics and opinions about women in aviation and all of the accompanying issues left us a bit surprised. Women Just Dont Like Airplanes as Much as Men Its clear that men and women are wired differently. We know from research that boys prefer cars and girls prefer dolls. What we mucksmuschenstill dont know is how much of the gender qualities we develop early in life are a result of our environment versus biology and genetics. When it comes to aviation, though, the supposition that women just dont like airplanes or are simply uninterested in aviation might be inaccurate. How much of a girls like or dislike of aviation stems from exposure or non-exposure? Whos to say there arent more girls and women out there who just havent discovered aviation yet? Aviation Is Completely Open to Women Theres No Problem Yes, you could argue that aviation is open to women. But is it really? What does that mean? Of course, a woman can learn to fly if she wants to. Imagine with me for a moment, though, that youre a 16-year old female who wants to learn to fly. You muster enough courage to go down to the local flight school or FBO, where you walk in and nobody is at the front desk. You wait, and a male mechanic eventually walks in and walks right by you without saying a word to you. Then, when abedrngnisher employee finally notices you, he or she will assume you are the wife of a pilot, or that youre there to collect the cate ring, or to arrange for a courtesy car for your client, or a variety of other non-pilot tasks. Since you dont fit the profile, its assumed that youre not a pilot or dont intend to become one. Not the most welcoming environment for a woman. Aviation might be available to women, but it isnt the most female-friendly environment. Women Shouldnt Complain. They Already Get Special Treatment Like Scholarships and Hiring Preferences. If Equality Is the Goal, Why Should These Benefits Be Available Just for Women? In general, women in aviation dont want to be treated differently than men theyre not looking for handouts or even scholarship money, but theres a reason for this sort of special treatment and it has to do with a long history of civil rights, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which would prevent people from refusing to hire based on age, sex, religion, or color. Women get hiring preference at an airline in some cases because its societys attempt at redressing past discrim ination, and rightly so. Its the best we can do. But thats not the end of the story. Lets not forget that a female pilot must be qualified for the job, just like any other pilot, and following that, they still must prove themselves among a group of skeptical male copilots, managers, and even passengers. This is perhaps a perceived notion on behalf of women, but in most cases, a failure on any level for a female in a male-dominated world is unforgivingand fuels the preconceived stereotype that women are somehow not as good as men. While women might get special treatment in some cases, they often still feel the need to work just as hard, if not harder, than the man sitting next to them, in order to earn the respect of their peers and forestall unwarranted criticism in the event of a weak moment. Women Arent Mechanically-Inclined and Have Trouble Learning to Fly There is contradictory research on the topic of a male pilots abilities and personality traits versus a female pilots abi lities and personality traits. Some research suggests that women are less mechanically inclined than men, but whether this is a result of nature or nurture - there is evidence of both -is still a question that nobody seems to be able to answer definitively. While men have generally been said to be better at math and spatial abilities, women who are exposed to math and spatial problems have been known to compete on a level equal to their male peers. Another thing to keep in mind is that subjects at which men are thought to excel - math, systems, and spatial ability - encompass just a small portion of the skills needed for flying an airplane theres also decision making, judgment, teamwork, navigating,problem-solvingand communicating. If its true that women are better at listening, less likely to act impulsively or carelessly, and are better at multi-tasking, then that makes the idea that learning to fly is more difficult for women a pretty outdated one. Sexism Wouldnt Exist in Avia tion If We Didnt Keep Bringing the Topic up for Discussion Sexism, like crime, poverty, ignorance, and prejudice of every stripe,doesnt disappear just because we decide to ignore it.Ignorance is only bliss for the privileged, in this case. There Is No Evidence of Sexism at All. If Women Dont Feel Welcome in Aviation, Thats Their Problem There are many examples of sexism in todays aviation environment - some very recent - like Air Canadas problem withnude photos of women being leftinthe flight deck. Even today, there aremembers of the general public who are still uncomfortable with the role of a female pilotin the flight deck. Sexism exists. Its a problem. Theres a reason the conversation keeps coming up. If a Woman Is Offended by a Nude Photo of Another Woman or a Dirty Joke, Then Shes Emotionally Unstable and Shouldnt Be a Pilot Its often said that some girls just cant take a joke. A womans reaction to a comment or joke by apeermay come across as defensive or even overreac tive in some cases, but we should all be offended by rude behavior, bullying, intimidation, or simply bad taste. Theres really just no place for negative or offensive behavior in a professional environment, and the response to this behavior isnt the problem the problem is the behavior itself. It should be noted that being offended by bad behavior in no way detracts from a persons skill as a pilot. Being offended doesnt mean that a person is unstable or incompetent. In a professional environment like the flight deck, decency should be expected, not checked at the gate. We Need More Women in Aviation Theres a big push to encourage more women in aviation, along with STEM programs in general. There are a lot of people that believe that the industry needs more women. Why? What benefit do women bring to the aviation environment that men dont or cant bring? If women and men are going to be on an even playing field, then why exactly should we be catering to women? It might be truer to s ay that we need morepeoplein aviation. With a looming pilot shortage and a struggling general aviation industry, we could use more qualified pilots in general. If theres an untapped market of females out there that can and want to ameliorate that pilot shortage and even the playing field at the saatkorn time, then why not? But we probably dont need more women in aviation just for the sake of needing more women.