WOMEN OF AVIATION WORLDWIDE WEEK
The aviation industry involves different activities and industries dealing in aircraft and air traffic control. Most aircraft in aviation are used for military warfare and air travel. The Women of Aviation Worldwide Week (WOAW) is a worldwide aviation awareness week targeting women and young girls to remember the issuance of the first-ever female aviation license in 1910 and aims to address gender discrimination in the aviation industry. It is celebrated every year during the week of March 8. This year, it will take place from March 6 to 12.
HISTORY OF WOMEN OF AVIATION WORLDWIDE WEEK
The history of aviation dates back to over 2000 years ago, when kites, hot air balloons, and heavier-than-air jets were common. Kite flying is known to be one of the earliest examples of man-made flights. In the 19th century, people used hot air balloons, airships, and gliders before the known airplanes we see today. By December 12, 1903, aviation had advanced, and the first airplane known as “Kitty Hawk” flew for 12 seconds at 37 meters under the command of the Wright brothers Wilbur and Orville in North Carolina. This event impacted the aviation world so much that decades later, new aircraft were created to transport people, commodities, and services, then space flight. Aviation was largely considered a male dominated industry until 1910, and gender based discrimination was so glaring that women had to fight extremely hard to prove their competence. So far, women have contributed significantly to the advancement of aviation, from the first woman to fly a hot air balloon to the first woman to get a pilot’s license in 1910. The WOAW seeks to celebrate and remember the licensing of the first female pilot as the first step in addressing gender bias in the aviation industry. In 2010, Mereille Goyer, aviation instructor and pilot, launched the ‘Fly it Forward’ initiative to encourage pilots globally to introduce girls of all ages to the aviation industry. This initiative aims to see the number of women in the aviation industry increase. In 2011, this event became Women's Aviation Week.
