Airports, airlines should have at least 25% women at various levels: DGCA

The DGCA said that the airports and airlines should periodically review the existing HR policies to remove any gender biases and to promote a positive work environment for women

The Indian airports and airlines should have at least 25 per cent women at various levels, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suggested on Wednesday while issuing multiple recommendations to them to promote more gender equality in the country's aviation sector.

The regulator suggested that the airports and airlines should publish the vacant positions on various forums, explicitly encouraging applications from female candidates and drafting positions with precise information on flexible working conditions in their organisations.

The organisations should monitor the gender ratio to identify gaps in diversity by setting up a system to evaluate and track progress in gender diversity, it said.

The DGCA said the airports and airlines should periodically review the existing human resources (HR) policies to remove any gender biases and to promote a positive work environment for women.

The organisations should also develop suitable programmes to hire women back if they have taken a break due to parenting needs "or other attendant life cycle issues".

The language used in the companies should be gender-neutral and non-discriminatory across various functions of the airports and airlines, it stated.

The organisations should conduct periodic training sessions for employees to raise awareness about inherent gender bias and its impact on decision-making processes, it said.

"The demanding nature of aviation careers can pose challenges for women, particularly those who wish to start families. Balancing work responsibilities with personal commitments and childcare can be difficult, leading to a potential career hurdle," the DGCA stated.

"Implementing policies that support work-life balance, such as flexible scheduling and parental leave, hybrid schedules can help address the issue and attract and retain women talent," it added.

There is a significant upswing in the enrollment of women pilots in India. At present, the total number of women pilots employed with various Indian carriers is approximately 14 per cent of the total flight crew strength.

However, the regulator said the number of women employees in airports and airlines should be at least 25 per cent at all levels.
 

"This circular is issued as an advisory to all stakeholders with an aim to increase the number of women in various positions by either 25 per cent against currently reported metrics or to a desirable representation of 25 per cent by 2025," it stated.