The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has set up a committee to provide suggestions for achieving gender equality in India’s aviation sector. The civil aviation regulator in an order dated August 10, 2023, stated that the objective of this four-member committee will be to suggest steps that DGCA should take to bring gender equality in the aviation sector.
The committee comprises four senior officers namely – R P Kashyap, Director (Training); Survita Saxena, Director (Operations); Pavan Malviya, Deputy Director (Administration); and Kavita Singh, Deputy Director (Aircraft Engineering Directorate).
These appointed officers are expected to formulate norms and submit them to DGCA. Once the norms are approved by the civil aviation regulator, they will be further circulated among aviation stakeholders to adopt and bring in practice for gender equality.
Committee to submit report in six months
According to the order, the deadline for the committee to submit its report/recommendation is six months from the date of its constitution.
The effort aligns with the dedication of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to encourage female engagement and strive for a balanced ratio of 50-50 (women to men) by 2030 in all leadership and advanced positions within the worldwide aviation industry.
A welcome move
Meanwhile, aviation professionals and stakeholders have lauded this development and said the move will help create new opportunities for women in this field. They highlight that the Indian aviation domain already boasts a substantial representation of women in specific professional domains, notably among pilots.
Even though, during his address to the nation from the rampart of Lal Quila on the 77th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also acknowledged the fact that India has the highest number of women pilots in the world, many experts believe that there is still a huge scope to encourage and skill women to join and contribute their role in the business of flying.