‘Even though the industry is male dominant, you will still find people who respect you and ultimately, give you the opportunity to develop your career. Although women are outnumbered, if you have the right attitude, you can still grow in your career.’
Stephanie, August 2019
I genuinely believe that aviation needs to have more female representation. More so in Malta, where many outlets are screaming about the exponential growth of the local aviation industry. This lack of representation was evident to me when at an established company’s yearly management meeting, out of around fifteen managers, only one was a woman.
In order to shed some light on this situation, I carried out interviews with the Amelia Earharts and the Raymonde de Laroches of the Maltese aviation industry.
Bernice Fenech Zammit is 27 years old and has already been working in aviation for 10 years. When Bernice first walked into an aircraft hangar she was looking for a job as a mechanical aircraft maintenance technician. Her superiors assumed that, being a woman, she was more suited to a maintenance technician position within the avionics (electrical) department. She did not appreciate the assumption and immediately voiced her opinion. She is now one of the company’s most revered aircraft maintenance mechanical engineers.
Bernice was introduced to aviation at a young age by her mother. Her mother used to take her to the yearly Malta International Airshow (this massive source of inspiration has been cancelled for the third year in a row). When she was not at the airshow she was on her roof looking at planes flying in and out of Malta International Airport.
Stephanie Vella Gera is a 31 year old, Safety and Compliance Manager at a Maltese airline. She too started her career as an aircraft maintenance technician. She wasn’t the only female to graduate from her class of 2008, however today Steph is the only one still working in aviation.
Both women I interviewed passed through some testing times during their careers in aviation. From being subject to gender discrimination to continuing to work on their career whilst raising a family. Despite these testing times, what strikes me the most about these two women is their unconditional love for aviation.
Day-in day-out, these women spend the majority of their days striving to carve out a career for themselves in an industry that is so male dominant. It is their love for aviation that keeps this relentless pursuit going.
Having said that, one’s love and passion for the industry alone is not enough to guarantee a long, successful career in aviation.
Bernice and Stephanie both have strong support structures at home. Aviation is a 24/7 job and requires tonnes of dedication to ensure that everyday, you are performing at your best. This dedication could mean long hours at work and far-away business trips. Both women explained to me that their partners understand what they are trying to achieve and that they support them as best they can.
The interviews highlighted that conditions in the workplace also affect women who choose a career in aviation. This was experienced by Stephanie when she was pregnant 4 years into her career.
Stephanie was lucky enough to be employed at a company that supported her during this time. Both Stephanie and the company she was working for did not see the pregnancy as a hurdle, but as an opportunity. She successfully transitioned from the shop floor as a maintenance technician to the continuing airworthiness department then to the quality department.
The quality department offered her a safer and more sustainable working environment as it included more flexibility in terms of working hours. This transition suited her perfectionist, attention-to-detail character traits and the company also heavily benefited from this move. This flexibility helped ensure that Stephanie remained engaged in her job during and after her pregnancy.
Bernice also mentioned the need of flexibility, especially in the future if it comes to the time that she too will be raising a family. Employers need to take note – to ensure a successful career in aviation, working hours flexibility is something women need to have.
‘Women are better because throughout history they were perceived as weaker. In male dominant industries women had to work twice as hard to be considered as equal’
Bernice, August 2019
Throughout both interviews we spoke about the development of their careers to date. Naturally, I asked them where they saw themselves in five years time. From their answers, it was very clear, Bernice and Stephanie are both very ambitious. They have set their goals and are hell-bent on achieving them.
There is no reason why women should be intimidated by participating in the aviation industry. The industry can offer a long, sustainable career for anyone who is willing to give it a try and work hard. It is no secret that women have their own unique challenges. Organisations should realize this and should offer a working environment that empowers women.
