The International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA), a worldwide organization for women who hold leadership positions across the aviation and aerospace industry, teamed with other industry associations to work with Korn Ferry, a global consulting firm, to conduct research for the study Soaring Through the Glass Ceiling. The report, released today, identifies key enablers and inhibitors of women advancing into leadership positions throughout the aviation and aerospace industry.
“Despite advancements women have made across the aviation and aerospace industries, there still exists a need for more women in leadership positions,” says Alina Nassar, IAWA Past-President. “This study provides further evidence and helps us to better understand the path and difficulties female leaders have faced in their journey to the top.”
Now, IAWA is launching Growing Global: Taking Diversity to New Heights which utilizes the key findings from the study to promote actionable outcomes to encourage everyone in the industry to embrace diversity and inclusivity for mutual benefit. Soaring Through the Glass Ceiling is the first truly international study to explore gender diversity within the industry interviewing 40+ multi-national organizations, collecting 2,400+ responses from four key stakeholder groups and gathering answers from 1,880+ women in aviation and aerospace positions.
As the results of the study are released, discussions and agreements on industry-level actions will be quick to follow in parallel with IAWA’s Growing Global initiative to continue the effort on closing the gender gap. IAWA has been at the forefront of conversations on inclusion and gender equality in aviation and aerospace for more than three decades and continues with its goal of creating, maintain and pushing for a comprehensive industry with equal opportunities.
Women are assuming greater and more visible roles within the industry. Through annual global conferences, regional receptions and connects, IAWA provides a forum to share views on matters of importance to the industry, as well as to women in general. IAWA members serve as role models for other women seeking advancement and growth into leadership positions. One of the key goals and initiatives of the Association is to empower women within the industry, regardless of their tenure, so they can grow and obtain these leadership opportunities that they may not even know exist.
Examples of IAWA’s continuous contributions to inclusivity in aviation:
- Through scholarship, mentoring and internships, IAWA actively seeks to increase the numbers and visibility of women in the industry.
- To-date, IAWA has awarded 64 scholarships, totaling nearly $300,000
- In 2019 alone, IAWA awarded 12 scholarships.
- Development and promotion of its membership at conferences, forums and in the organization’s various leadership positions.
Additional information about Growing Global well as IAWA, its programs and membership can be found at IAWA.org. Click here to download a copy of Soaring Through the Glass Ceiling.
