In its pursuit of giving wings to dreams, the iconic event Girls in Aviation Day (GIAD) was organised at the Vidya School, Gurugram, by a team of members of Women in Aviation India. Girl students from the school participated in the activities as part of the event. The main aim of this program was to introduce young girls to the plethora of career opportunities that are open to them in the field of aviation. A team of members of Women in Aviation India conducted the program and gave them a sneak peek into the world of aviation and hospitality.
Mrs. Meenakshi Lekhi, Former Union Minister of External Affairs & Culture, Government of India motivated the girls with her inspiring address through a video message. She commended the initiative and said “It’s truly inspiring to see how governments, businesses, and NGOs are working together to empower women and help turn their dreams into reality. This collaborative effort has opened doors for women to break barriers, even in traditionally male-dominated industries like aviation. In fact, women now make up 15% of India’s aviation workforce – three times the global average, showcasing the tremendous progress being made. Women in Aviation India is playing a pivotal part by opening doors for women to make a career in this dynamic sector.”
The event had an interesting line up of speakers from the aviation industry which included Capt. Archana Kapoor, Member – Women in Aviation India & Line Captain B-787, Vistara Airlines, Capt. Poonam Gaur, Member – Women in Aviation India and Co-founder, Air Taxi and Ms. Kashish, Member – Women in Aviation India and Flight Operations Quality Executive, TATA SIA Airlines Pvt Ltd, Ms. Yamini Malhotra, Cluster Director of Human Resources, Roseate Hotels & Resorts, Ms. Harmeet Kaur Juneja, Head Passenger Services, Bird Flight Services and Mr. Ansh Kakkar from Yes Bank.
Mrs. Radha Bhatia, President, Women in Aviation India encouraged the girls to dream big and shared inspiring words on how they can make a difference in the aviation industry. She said ‘Our incredible line up of speakers from the aviation industry inspired young school girls, showing them that no dream is too big and impossible. These women, representing various sectors within aviation, emphasized the vast opportunities beyond being a cabin crew or a pilot. From cargo management and aeronautical engineering to air traffic control and more, they encouraged the girls to dream big and pursue diverse careers in aviation. This is aligned with the goal of Women in Aviation India and the core objective of GIAD.”
The school girls received the WAI merchandise which included a booklet of jobs featuring a list of roles in aviation and hospitality. The girls were very excited and engaged in a meaningful discussion related to career opportunities.
Women in Aviation India was founded 9 years ago, when a group of fifteen dynamic women got together to shape the future of women in the Indian aviation industry, significantly dominated by men. The enthusiastic members of WAI initiated work at the grass root level, mentoring, guiding and training young girl students, especially in the age group of 14 -17 years, a time when dreams and ambitions of young students begin to take flight. During this path breaking journey, touching the lives of more than 30,000 girls in person and multi fold otherwise, WAI has networked, collaborated and received the support of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, its associated organizations, state Governments, airports, airlines amidst other stakeholders of the Indian aviation industry.
As a step towards increasing awareness, the iconic initiative, Girls in Aviation Day (GIAD) has been celebrated every year since the last 8 years across various states in India. As part of GIAD, our members reach out to girls, especially from the underprivileged and the marginal sections of society, mostly in remote towns and cities. Empowered by the founding slogan – ‘Beti ki Udan, Desh ka Swabhiman, GIAD events are held at the school/college premises and mostly at airports, in order to provide students a glimpse of an aviation ecosystem, as most of these students have not had an opportunity to see an airport before. Senior representatives of the aviation industry meet and engage with the young students.
This year, the 9th edition of Girls in Aviation Day 2024 began with a wonderful celebration at the General Aviation Terminal, IGI Airport, Terminal 3, New Delhi followed by eventful programs held at the Kheria Airport, Agra, Chandigarh, Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, Kerala, Srinagar and more GIAD events will be held in cities such as Ladakh, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, in the coming weeks.
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