September 18, (THEWILL) — Gender bias and stereotypes, lack of representation, work-life balance, network barriers, limited training opportunities and glass ceiling have been identified as some of the challenges that women face in pursuit of leadership roles in aviation cargo.
President, Women in Aviation International (WAI), Nigeria, Dr (Mrs) Ndudinachi Rejoice Ugochi, through her representative, Ambassador Ijeoma Chukwu, the Women in Aviation International Nigeria, Lagos Chairperson, listed the challenges in her presentation titled “Challenges for Women in Aviation Cargo Leadership”, at the 5th CHINET AviaCargo Conference held at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos on Tuesday.
Ambassador Chukwu, who is also the Assistant General Manager, Training & Human Resources Department, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), emphasised that despite these challenges faced by women in Aviation cargo, women have opportunities to excel in aviation cargo leadership positions, driving innovation, growth, and diversity in the industry.
According to Amb Chukwu, embedded in these challenges are equally opportunities that are triggered by the increasing complexity of global logistics and e-commerce, which offer numerous leadership opportunities in aviation cargo.
She noted that many companies are actively promoting diversity and inclusion, creating pathways for women to rise in leadership while more organisations are developing mentorship programs aimed at supporting women’s advancement in the industry like the women in Aviation (WAI)Skill Development.
Programmes focused on leadership and technical skills, she said, are becoming more accessible, equipping women for higher roles.
On how innovative technologies are changing the narratives, Amb Chukwu said, “The rise of new technologies in aviation cargo, such as automation and data analytics, opens doors for women to lead transformative initiatives within organisations. The demand for air freight services is growing rapidly, driven by e-commerce, globalisation, and other trends. This growth creates opportunities for women to take on leadership roles in the industry. The aviation cargo industry is increasingly recognising the importance of diversity and inclusion, including implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives, providing training on unconscious bias and inclusive leadership, promoting women and underrepresented groups to leadership roles”.
The aviation expert further pointed out that the aviation cargo industry is ripe for innovation and entrepreneurship, including: developing new technologies or solutions to improve efficiency or safety; launching new businesses or services to meet emerging needs and partnering with startups or entrepreneurs to drive innovation.
She commended Adenike Aboderin, the Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), Yvonne Manzi Makolo: Chief Executive Officer of RwandAir and Jenifer Bamuturaki: Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Airlines, Bamuturaki for their giant strides in taking on leadership roles in the aviation cargo industry, industry associations and organisations.
Charting a way forward and for proper representation of women in the industry, Chukwu advised organisations to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives, provide training on unconscious bias and inclusive leadership, promote women and underrepresented groups to leadership roles.
Stating that these organisations should endeavour to offer mentorship and sponsorship programs, the WAI Lagos Chairperson equally advised the women to seek out mentorship and sponsorship, build relationships with colleagues and peers, develop skills and expertise to advance in their career and be confident and assertive in pursuing opportunities.
In her recommendatiom, Chukwu advised all stakeholders to encourage women to pursue leadership roles in aviation cargo, promote diversity and inclusion in the industry, support organisations and initiatives that advance women’s leadership in aviation cargo.
By addressing these challenges and leveraging on the opportunities, the women leader believes strongly that, women can significantly contribute to and shape the future of aviation cargo leadership.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
