I get what you are saying. But change female to male would it be news worthy?
Young men and boys get to see role models of their own gender in aviation all the time. Well, 93% of the time. Actually, more like 96% of the time, if you look at airline pilots (and not GA). So yeah, I (too) long for the day when this will not be newsworthy, and when recruitment into aviation (or any pursuit) can be made in a gender-blind way. But that day is not yet here.
And there was a line in the article about no female navigators that made the author of the article appear to not know anything about aviation at all
Fair point. But that is a separate journalism issue, and extending it to mock the effort and the women involved, does not help.
Kath, do you really not see how something like this is denigrating to males? And when you come right down to it, isn't it denigrating to females also, turning them into "poor little dears" who require special treatment?
No, I don't. And no, I don't think it is. I've spent my entire adult life in male-dominated fields facing these issues, and have spent a lot of time promoting STEM for both girls and boys, doing outreach, partly just to be seen, because there are so few of us. It's my opportunity to "be" a culture that I find lacking elsewhere, even if it's just for one afternoon. I don't see it as an "us versus them" kind of issue. Never have. I look at that picture of 120 smiles and hands in the air (kids *and* crew) and see only joy.
For the sake of perspective, let me share a brief story from just last week. I met a pilot buddy at a new-to-me airport. He led me into a hangar to meet some friends.
Guy #1 introduces me to Guy #2.
Guy #2 makes a derisive noise and says "Women can't be pilots!"
Guy #1 says, "Ignore him, he's just joking, fooling with ya."
Five minutes later, Guy #2 makes the same joke again... "Women belong in the home" or some such. Guy #1 once again rolls his eyes and apologizes for him.
I wanted to tell Guy #2 to eff off. But I'm too polite to swear at someone I've just met. No one else in the hangar did either.
Guy #2 never told me himself that he was joking or kidding. He probably was, and thought it was just harmless fun. But for all I know, Guy #2 really does feel this way about women. Either way, he has learned that he can get away with saying it. At least, he can in a hangar.
I have a lot of stories like this.