This new directive from the Ministry of Economy will go into effect when the current board terms end and will support the Gulf country’s objective of improving its competitiveness in the global market.

This programme demonstrates the leadership’s commitment to achieving sustainable development objectives and empowering women.

The ministerial resolution expands upon a similar mandate that was introduced for public joint-stock companies in 2021 and governs the governance and operations of private joint-stock companies. This previous action has improved institutional performance and economic outcomes, which has produced favourable results.

According to a recent announcement from the United Nations’ Development Programme, the UAE has significantly improved from 49th in 2015 and 11th in 2022 to 7th place in the 2024 Gender Inequality Index.

At the 68th meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, this declaration was made. The Gulf nation established the Gender Equality Council in 2015 as a federal organisation with the responsibility of creating and carrying out the gender equality programme.

The council’s goal is to eliminate gender disparities in all governmental domains and establish the United Arab Emirates as a global leader in equality. With 50% of posts in the Federal National Council held by women, the UAE also leads the globe in women’s parliamentary representation.

The UAE government portal also states that women are disproportionately represented in the labour market, in specialised professions, and in emerging fields.

Under the direction of the UAE’s leadership, the nation is dedicated to boosting women’s contributions in a variety of fields, especially economic development, according to Minister of Economy Abdullah bin Touq Al-Marri.

“The decision will reinforce the UAE’s vision to enhance gender balance, empowering women in the business sector and increasing their presence in leadership and decision-making roles,” he was quoted as saying by the UAE’s official news agency.

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However, Indian female pilots are no longer a novelty three decades after Nivedita Bhasin’s career began, making the nation a success story in terms of diversity in the airline business.

According to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, India has the greatest proportion of female pilots in the world at roughly 12.4% of all pilots, compared to 5.5% in the US, the largest aviation market in the world, and 4.7% in the UK.

The figures make one wonder how a country that ranked 135th out of 146 on the World Economic Forum’s list of nations for gender parity was able to buck the trend in this particular sector. Some of the responses could serve as examples for other nations and industries working to increase the representation of women.

Diverse organizations typically perform better, and some studies have even suggested that female pilots experience fewer safety problems. Additionally, while the world is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and demand increases, hiring more women could assist airlines in addressing the staff shortages that are causing travel delays.

Pioneers like Nivedita Bhasin claim that a number of reasons, such as outreach programs, improved company practices, and strong family support are motivating Indian women.

A 1948-formed youth program called the National Cadet Corps’ air wing, which trains pupils to fly microlight aircraft, attracted many Indian women to aviation. Some state governments are providing financial aid for the pricey commercial pilot training, and organizations like Honda Motor Co. offer complete scholarships for an 18-month program at an Indian flying school and support their employees to make it more affordable for women.

Michele Halleran, a professor and the head of diversity programs at Florida’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, “India began recruiting women into STEM careers, including pilots, decades ago.”

Because of the severe pilot and technician scarcity, we are currently experiencing in the United States, the desire for a diversity movement in aviation has just begun.

Due to airline markets in nations like the US being significantly larger and having larger overall personnel of both men and women, the absolute numbers of women pilots still tend to be higher there than in India.

The continuous shortage of pilots and airport staff, which is causing airlines to curtail and cancel flights and endangering to snarl the aggressive traffic resurgence, can be alleviated by hiring more women. Over the next 20 years, the globe will require more than 600,000 more pilots, according to Boeing Co.

According to a research titled Gender Differences In General Aviation Crashes, which examined data on helicopter and airplane crashes between 1983 and 1997, male pilot crash rates were higher than those of female pilots.

Women in Combat Arms: A Study of the Global War on Terror examined the accident rates of male and female pilots from 2002 to 2013, finding that women “fly aircraft more safely,” accounting for only 3% of accidents despite making up 10% of all US army helicopter pilots.

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In India, women who work full time are also responsible for managing household chores ranging from cleaning, cooking, taking care of their children, social and religious obligations, etc. Unfortunately the maturity to accept women as equals is often lacking in the country, with a rather traditional/patriarchal attitude exhibited. This social attitude tends to spill onto the workplace as well.

Against this backdrop, it was important for Thomas Cook India to take a stand and empower its women workforce to get their fair share, be confident and feel safe in their work environment. The Company launched a unique initiative, Women of Will (WOW), as a platform for this dynamic workforce, enabling them to share their dreams, their challenges and support each other and the organization to achieve their professional and personal goals.

Thomas Cook India aims at establishing a working environment that encourages all its employees to fully demonstrate their capabilities in the workplace and has incorporated various measures, policies and programmes that address issues such as organizational development, vital to motivate all employees to fully demonstrate their capabilities without regard to gender.

Ms. Mona Cheriyan – President & Group Head, Human Resources, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., said, “We strive to give equal opportunities for growth to both women and men at the workplace. We are hence delighted with the honour of being counted among the Top 100 Best Companies for women in India. We have a fair number of women leaders and continue to mentor women in the workplace to take on more strategic roles. The leisure industry lends opportunities for women and we ensure that some roles where women have special skills and an eye for detail are staffed with female employees.”

Ms. Cheriyan reiterated, “As an organisation the Thomas Cook India Group aims to have an inclusive culture. We do not discriminate between genders. We are clear that the competencies of a person are not necessarily in line with the person’s gender!”

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