International Women’s Day 2025: Accelerate Action

According to data from the World Economic Forum it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity if we continue at the current rate of progress.

For this International Women’s Day, 8th March 2025, we asked our team to share their experiences inspiration to Accelerate Action towards gender equality. Read on to discover more.

Sophie Lane, Chief Relationships Officer

What barriers to gender equality have you experienced or observed, and how can we address these?

There are two barriers that I see time and time again and that are fundamentally undermining equality in the workplace: the mistaken belief that promoting equality disadvantages men and the acceptance of casual misogyny. I can’t tell you how many times I have challenged behaviour that is offensive and been asked “are you offended because you are a woman.” Or “is x just a bit sensitive?” Or seen people doing the same job at different pay scales justified because “she came in on a lower salary”. Or heard that “equality is an unfair advantage to less qualified women”. Or being made to feel my feeling are not justified because “I didn’t mean it – it was just banter.” I could go on. For me, the only way to change this is to be brave, call it out where you see it and question why. It’s not always easy, it requires bravery, and you won’t always be heard. But if we don’t call it out when it is so ingrained in our society, how will we ever change it?

How have you been inspired you to take action towards equality in your career?

Early in my career there were few positive female role models and I was confused by some of the aggressive and toxic behaviours I saw. I tried to change myself to replicate this and didn’t have the confidence or experience to question whether this was the right thing to do. I laughed at the banter even if I was uncomfortable, I dressed so that I didn’t stand out, I was proud to be the last person working in the office and I made myself quite ill.

I later realised that to get my best performance I needed to be true to myself and own my ‘differences’ in approach with confidence. As a result, I try every day to role model the behaviours I want to see, to have the humility to learn from my mistakes, to listen to different perspectives and to create the time to support those around me. I don’t always get it right but I hope I provide a better environment for others than the one I experienced.

What challenges does aerospace being a majority-male sector present and how can we achieve gender equality?

Gender equality is not about incremental change. It’s about celebrating the benefits that a diverse workforce brings and being prepared to invest time, resources and energy to achieve it. It’s about actions not words, being prepared to lead rather than wait for the ‘right’ answer, asking for, listening to and acting on feedback. That’s not just an aerospace challenge, but we feel it more acutely because of our gender mix. Ultimately women can’t achieve this by themselves and in aerospace that means more allies who stand up and challenge toxic behaviours, role model better behaviours for their teams and seek to educate their detractors.

Maria Nelson, Head of Innovation & Sustainability

What barriers to gender equality have you experienced or observed, and how can we address these?

Sometimes more traditional sectors like aerospace can struggle to allow less dominant voices to make themselves heard. Speaking openly about the importance of inclusive communication and holding space for each other is crucial so we can continue to evolve and attract the best talent pool.

How have you been inspired you to take action towards equality in your career?

At various stages in my career, I was lucky to benefit hugely from colleagues and managers who modelled inclusive communication and brought “their whole self” to work (to mention what shouldn’t need mentioning – my positive role models were both men and women). This meant they showed up authentically and respectfully, and actively brought their diverse backgrounds and personal needs to the workplace. These positive role models really helped me build up my confidence when I joined the UK workforce as a non-Brit, when I originally started working in tech innovation with a non-STEM background, and later, when I became a mother and returned to the workforce with new needs and challenges. They helped me see that it’s ok to be “me” at work. I try to model the same values, hoping that I will, in turn, inspire others, and so on…

How can the aerospace sector Accelerate Action to capture future talent?

If I had to boil it down to one thing, for me it would be about making people feel welcome. That plays out on so many levels, starting with how we talk about STEM topics to children with different interests and backgrounds. It continues with how we get young people excited about technology and the future, including those who might bring valuable non-STEM skills to the sector (I should self-declare as a humanities PhD). And then finally it is a daily exercise of practicing a communication culture that values the diverse backgrounds we all bring, and is collaborative and outcome driven. The more we all live this culture on a daily basis, the more we will be in great position to attract and retain future talent.

Harry Simpson, Senior Technologist – Aerodynamics

What barriers to gender equality have you experienced or observed, and how can we address these?

Having recently become a dad, I’ve noticed various ways in which fathers are treated differently to mothers. Some of this is logical common sense, but some of it is just historical norms which reinforce inequality. The unequal approach to paternity leave and maternity leave in many companies means that women are financially encouraged to take more time off from their careers than men, leading to longer career breaks where women are expected to make up for lost time.We need to break the link between maternity leave and career progression.

How have you been inspired you to take action towards equality in your career?

I am very fortunate that the ATI has generous Shared Parental leave policy which enabled my wife and I to split our leave 50:50. She’ll take six months off and so will I. This means that rather than taking a one-year break, she’ll only take a six-month break – a huge difference!

How can the aerospace sector Accelerate Action to capture future talent?

The aerospace industry is over a century old and can be seen as slow moving, but by adopting more of these modern working practices – like more equal paternity pay – we can encourage women to stay in the sector longer, inspiring the next generation.

Helen Brocklehurst, Head of Skills and Research – Hydrogen Capability Network

What barriers to gender equality have you experienced or observed, and how can we address these?

Women are judged by male behavioural standards, and so are told we need to change to progress – “it’s our fault” (personal experience). We need to help the majority to understand the challenges faced by the minority.

How have you been inspired you to take action towards equality in your career?

A very inspirational woman who made me realise just what I bring to the party, as in being myself is key.

How can the aerospace sector Accelerate Action to capture future talent?

Capture data – what are women’s experiences day-to-day? What’s the career trajectories of women versus men? There’s a perception that there isn’t a problem, and only through data will it be possible to show what the problem actually is.

What challenges does aerospace being a majority-male sector present and how can we achieve gender equality?

It’s difficult to be heard – and the more collegiate, collaborative way of working that women tend to have is not noticed or acknowledged as this is done in the background, not through performances in meetings.

Which networks or channels would you recommend for further inspiration on the theme of equity?

I’d recommend looking at the Alta coaching platform.

Women in Aviation Charter

The ATI is proud to be an official signatory of the Women in Aviation Charter. The WIAA Charter aims to support the overall diversity of the sector and build a more balanced and fair industry by giving signatories real and achievable commitments to ensure that more women enter into our industry, and that it feels open and accessible for women to work in aviation and aerospace. Click here to discover more.

International Women’s Day 2025: Accelerate Action

Women in Aviation Charter

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