Women in Aviation Industry Initiative
Aviation/Aerospace Australia successfully delivered three major initiatives under the Women in Aviation Industry Initiative (WAII) between June 2024 and June 2026:
- Aviators in Schools Program
- Women in Aviation Culture Survey
- Barriers to the Workplace Survey
The project successfully met its contractual obligations, completed all milestones, exceeded participation targets in the education engagement component, and delivered valuable research to inform future gender equity initiatives in Australian aviation. Collectively, the three projects have increased industry engagement, expanded opportunities for students, and strengthened the evidence base needed to improve outcomes for women across the aviation workforce
The project contributed to several key objectives of the Australian Government WAII Strategic Action Plan by:
- Increasing visibility of aviation career pathways for girls and young women.
- Expanding access to female role models and industry mentors.
- Strengthening industry-school partnerships.
- Generating new evidence on workplace culture and barriers to participation.
- Supporting informed policy development to improve attraction, retention and advancement of women in aviation.
- Creating resources and relationships that can continue to deliver benefits beyond the funding period.
This has been funded through the Australian Government's Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications 'Women in the Aviation Industry Initiative' to help us better understand the landscape for women in the aviation, aerospace and space industries.
Workplace Culture Survey Outcomes
Prepared by: A/Prof Chrystal Zhang, Joelle Chia and Dorian Notman
RMIT University
- Only 31% of respondents identified a lack of policies as a challenge, while 53% identified ineffective implementation of existing policies and procedures.
- Two-thirds of respondents (66%) identified organisational priorities and workplace culture as the primary barriers to improving outcomes for women.
- 66% identified workplace traditions and conventions as a barrier, indicating that cultural factors remain a significant challenge despite formal policies being in place.
- 62% identified insufficient executive time and commitment as a barrier to implementation.
- 58% identified pressure to conform to male-dominated workplace norms as a continuing challenge.
- 55% identified fear of losing opportunities as a barrier to participation and progression.
Barriers to Workplace Outcomes
Prepared by: Zheng Lei, Yun Maung, Rockie Kuok, Tommy Cheung
Swinburne University of Technoloy
- Women reported only moderate levels of inclusive leadership (3.09/5), indicating that experiences of workplace inclusion remain inconsistent across the sector.
- Perceived barriers scored highest of all measured factors (3.49/5), confirming that significant challenges to women's participation and progression remain.
- Retention and organisational attachment scored relatively low (2.56/5), highlighting ongoing risks to retaining skilled women in the aviation workforce.
- Awareness of diversity and visibility initiatives was only low-to-moderate (1.59/3), suggesting opportunities to improve the reach and impact of existing programs.
- Respondents reported only moderate progress in gender inclusion since 2020 (2.82/5), indicating that while improvements have occurred, significant work remains.
Aviator in School Program
With the support of CSIRO Education
- The Aviators in Schools Initiative exceeded its targets, delivering 60 partnerships across 55 schools and reaching more than 1,269 students.
- Importantly, 96% of participating schools served underrepresented student cohorts, and over half of participating aviation professionals were women.
- Participant satisfaction was exceptionally strong, with 100% of teachers and aviation professionals indicating they would recommend the program.