Friday 8 March is International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
Our sectors have so much to be proud of, with innovative solutions to the most complex of problems. And women are a huge part of delivering them, that’s why we’ve been highlighting the ways we can increase gender parity in our industries, and the work women already do in our sectors.
Amongst the UK’s Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space sectors, the industries have been continuously encouraging women and girls to take up STEM subjects and be inspired to have jobs in engineering. At Farnborough International Airshow 2018, we saw the launch of the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter, which reflects the aspiration to see gender balance at all levels across the industry. Since then, the Charter has been gaining more signatories and supporters as industry comes together to work for a more balanced future.
Raising awareness of the gender inequality in our sectors is important but we must also highlight the women already in the sectors. Tackling the issues to achieving gender parity must go hand in hand with showcasing the work of the incredible women our industry already has, so they can become role models and inspire young girls who will be part of the future of our sectors.
Throughout the day, we will be celebrating four women in our sectors, and highlight the important work that they do:
- Jess Poole, Engineering Graduate Trainee at Rolls-Royce
- Elizabeth Sheldon, Chair of Evidence Talks and ADS Vice President for Security
- Rachel Horan, Aerospace Engineer at McGreevy Engineering
- Jenny Gardner, Project Director for Saab UK Innovation Centre
Read more about women in our sectors.
