Women and people from minority groups are still struggling to progress to senior leadership positions in aviation, according to a survey of gender and diversity in the sector carried out by Mason Hayes & Curran.
The law firm’s fourth survey in the series shows 71% of respondents saying that while more than 30% of the total headcount in their companies is female, the percentage of women in senior positions is still low, with only 16% indicating that more than 30% of the senior roles in their organisations are held by women.
In addition, 14% said they were from a minority group such as an ethnic or religious minority or LGBTQI, a slight increase on 2018. However, only 4% stated that their manager came from a minority group.
Head of aviation Christine O’Donovan (pictured) said: “There has been a slight increase in the number of respondents identifying as being part of a minority group, which is a positive development.
“However, the percentage of women at senior level is still low. Business leaders need to harness the benefits that bringing people from diverse backgrounds into their organisations can bring, especially considering that employees, particularly graduates, are expectant of a dynamic workplace with lots of opportunities and potential for career advancement.”
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In terms of board-level diversity,one quarter of respondents stated that their organisation still has an all-male board, despite the fact that many studies show that board diversity leads to enhanced effectiveness and company performance.
O’Donovan commented: “Having a single gender board is fast becoming taboo for companies involved in international business, and such boards will need to put a plan in place to appoint female directors from either within their business or external independent appointees.”
The survey also highlighted widespread unpreparedness for legislation on gender pay gap reporting. Only 14% said their company has already carried out an analysis, and 41% are unsure if their company has done anything.
