Women of Aviation Worldwide Week is an annual global event that aims to encourage and inspire more women and girls to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace. The event typically takes place during the first week of March, coinciding with the anniversary of the first female pilot's license, which was issued to French aviator Raymonde de Laroche on March 8, 1910.

This year, Women of Aviation Worldwide Week will be held from March 6 to March 12, 2023.

During Women of Aviation Worldwide Week, aviation organizations and businesses around the world hold events, activities, and outreach programs, such as fly-ins, airport tours, and aviation career seminars, to introduce women and girls to the many career opportunities available in aviation and aerospace.

The week also includes the Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week Challenge, which invites pilots and aviation enthusiasts to introduce a girl or woman to aviation for the first time during the week and record their experience on the Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week website. The challenge aims to help break down barriers and stereotypes that may discourage women from pursuing careers in aviation and to encourage more gender diversity in the industry.

When it comes to honoring women in aviation there are few more memorable than the founders of our Union, AFA; Sally Watt, First Secretary, Edith Lauterbach, First Treasurer, Francis Hall, Vice President, Shirley Thometz, Negotiator, and Ada Brown, President, who all came together in solidarity to fight for their rights as Flight Attendants and as women in the workforce.

Together these leaders negotiated our first contract, securing a substantial pay raise, setting a limit on duty hours, set rest periods, and established a grievance procedure. They singlehandedly began the wave of change that evolved a short-term job into a lifelong career as a First Responder. The changes they fought for improved the careers and quality of life for everyone in our industry.

Women of Aviation Worldwide Week is an important initiative that highlights the contributions of women in aviation and aerospace and inspires more women and girls to pursue careers in these aviation fields and for our profession as Safety Professionals.  We all should continue to build on their foundational labor and honor their bravery and sacrifices which created for us the opportunities we share today.

5 Facts about Women in Aviation from Women of Aviation Worldwide:

They have their own name

•      Women aviators are also known as aviatrixes.

They make up a small percentage

•      Women make up about 6.4% of the Aviation industry worldwide.

First International Licensed Female pilot

•      The African-American female pilot, Bessie Coleman, received an international pilot license in 1921.

The most flying hours by a female

•      Nicknamed ‘mama bird,’ Evelyn Stone Bryan holds the Guinness world record for the female pilot with the most logged flying hours with 57,635.4 hours.

Youngest solo female pilot

•      Zara Rutherford set a Guinness world record as the youngest solo female pilot in 2022, flying 199 days around the globe.