Several years ago, I found myself involuntarily unemployed (a nice term for fired) and to say that I was lost is a monumental understatement.  What I did for a living, my career that I had worked so hard for, had become who and what I was and not just that, but it was the only thing that I was.  I had no idea who I was without my job (because in hindsight, it was just that – a job) and I felt completely alone and actually fearful about my future.

The aerospace and aviation industries stand at a crossroads, highlighted by a recent LinkedIn poll that sought to gauge the community's stance on gender inclusivity. Despite an impressive 29,000 impressions, the poll—asking whether individuals saw themselves as "gatekeepers" or "gate-openers" for women in the field—garnered only 83 votes. This question seemed like a no-brainer; either you support increasing the number of women in aerospace and aviation or you don’t. The startling divergence between visibility and active participation raises critical questions about the support system for women in these sectors.

In the quest to shatter the glass ceiling within the aerospace and aviation industries, the focus often lands on the empowerment and advancement of women. While self-empowerment and community support among women are pivotal, the role of male sponsorship emerges as equally, if not more, critical in propelling women into leadership positions. The aerospace and aviation sectors, historically male-dominated, require transformative actions to not just welcome but actively champion female leadership. Here’s an exploration of why male sponsorship is indispensable in this journey.

I recently came across a thought-provoking article from The Business Journals that sheds light on the current trends in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the corporate world.  This topic really hits close to home for me given my long and deep-rooted journey in aerospace and aviation – a journey not just marked by my passion for space and flight, but also by my commitment to elevating women in these sectors.  Here are some key insights that I am taking away from the article, particularly in addressing the scarcity of women in leadership roles as well as those women leaving our fields in droves.

Recently, I took to LinkedIn with a simple intention: to celebrate the women in aviation and aerospace who are breaking barriers and inspiring the next generation. But when the post received over 3,000 impressions with only a handful of responses, it made me wonder. Why aren't more people engaging in this crucial conversation? This question isn’t about social media metrics - it’s about understanding the deeper currents that influence how we support and recognize women in these traditionally male-dominated fields.

I have always worked. From my very first job of making corsages for a florist friend of my parents to lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons as a teenager; from being a bank teller in high school and college to my first “career job” in aerospace after I graduated. I have never not worked.

Until one day, 20+ years into my career, I found myself unemployed. To say that I was lost is a monumental understatement. I was a train wreck.

What I did for a living had become who I was.

NOT SO FAST!

Following Your Passion is the ONLY Way to Close the Gender Gap in STEM/STEAM!

Over the past couple of weeks much attention has been paid to a recently-published paper containing data that seems to show that encouraging our young people to follow their passions rather than encouraging them to follow the money is creating a gender disparity in STEM/STEAM education and careers.

This lit me up!

As an extremely passionate advocate for increasing the number of girls and women in STEM/STEAM education and careers, this goes against everything that I believe and in fact against my primary message that I pass on to anyone who will listen.

If we want to include more girls in STEM/STEAM then we need to stop asking them if they are good at math. Instead we need to ask them about their passions and then teach them how the practical application of science, technology, engineering math and, yes, even the arts, can help them solve the problems that they are interested in.

“Attracting, retaining, and advancing women in aviation is critical to the U.S. aviation industry’s safety, sustainability, profitability, and ability to innovate.” – Breaking Barriers for Women in Aviation

I just read a couple of statistics that shook me to my core and that I can’t stop thinking about.

According to a 2018 survey of Women in Aviation International members, 71% have experienced sexual harassment and of those who reported the harassment, 51% experienced retaliation.