Women participation in aviation vital to bridge gender equality gap – Airside Ladies of GACL

The Ladies of the Airside Operations Section of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has marked this year’s International Women’s Day under the theme - DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”

According to the Airside Operations Officer, Ms. Felicia Attipoe, the aviation sector can further thrive on increased participation of women to bridge the gender equality gap.

Delivering remarks at a brief ceremony to mark “the Role of Women in Advancing the Growth of GACL - The case of Airside Operations; Achievements and Challenges,” Ms. Attipoe who represents Airside Ladies group also highlighted the many contributions of women within the aviation space with a further call on industry players to leverage technology as a catalyst for innovation.

“We need to be innovative in our work and technology must be the catalyst in this direction,” she noted.

Ms. Attipoe further pointed out a few challenges women faced in the line of work in the aviation sector and therefore appealed for increased support from the GACL Management.

Mr. Charles Hanson Adu, Group Executive, Airports Management Department on his part highlighted the importance of the airside within the aviation architecture and the invaluable contribution of women over the years.

Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) Mrs. Pamela Djamson-Tetteh on her part underscored the importance of women in the growth of the aviation sector particularly in Ghana.

She further encouraged the Airside Ladies of GACL to remain resilient in their determination to become leaders and change-makers in their various fields.

“The celebration aims at making the case for gender equality and globally advocating a change in attitude toward women. It also aims at highlighting the diverse aspects of a woman's existence in male-dominated roles, including Aircraft Marshalling in the aviation industry”.

Mrs. Pamela Djamson-Tetteh further commended the Ladies of the Airside Operations Section of the Airports Management Department for taking this bold step to observe this special day.

The Airside Officer’s role is quite unique. It involves overseeing and coordinating airfield operations at an airport, ensuring the safe and efficient operation of aircraft on the airfield and taxiways, including aircraft arrivals, departures, and ground movements, managing the airfield lighting and marking systems to ensure safe and efficient aircraft operations, including setting up cones and barriers as necessary.

Other responsibilities include: overseeing the airfield inspection program and ensuring that all areas of the airfield meet required safety standards and regulatory requirements, coordinating with air traffic control, ground handling agencies, and other airport stakeholders to ensure seamless airfield operations, responding to emergency situations, such as aircraft incidents or airfield closures, and coordinating with emergency services as needed, monitoring weather conditions and providing up-to-date information to airlines and other stakeholders as necessary etc.

International Women’s Day is a global event organized on March 8 every year to celebrate and recognize women's accomplishments in various disciplines.