Vanguard Magazine

www.vanguardcanada.com APRIL/MAY 2020 45 tHe LaSt wOrD By eVa maRtinez I n recent years, countless studies have been conducted to identify barri- ers and inhibitors to the advance- ment of women in the workplace; particularly in those industries that continue to be male dominated. Con- versely, much research has focused on helping business leaders, companies and organizations understand the enablers to enhance the attraction, retention and de- velopment of women. A consistent recom- mendation from these studies to enable the advancement of women is visibility. It should come as no surprise that we are seeing an increase in the number of ways to publicly recognize and highlight female trailblazers, champions and role models which allows for the creation of visibility of women's key accomplishments. These ac- counts are helping others understand how the achievements of individual women are contributing to the growth and success of business and positively impacting our in- dustry. Organizations that widely showcase these success stories are in turn reinforcing the importance of a culture of diversity and inclusion in the sector. It has been projected that business de- mands will continue to increase. As such, the aerospace and defence industry will need to draw from a diverse talent pool to remain an economic driver. Data and re- search from McKinsey published in 2017 concluded that "companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on their ex- ecutive teams were 15 percent more likely to experience above-average profitability." 1 Gender equality is also serious business for Canada's federal government. As an important partner to the government, the aerospace and defence industry has a significant role in supporting and benefit- ting from Canada's commitment to gen- der equality. The government's defence policy – Strong, Secure, Engaged (SSE) – "places an unprecedented focus on di- versity and gender equality as a means of strengthening the operational force and positioning the Defence Team as a pre- ferred employer." 2 It isn't just a numbers game. Increasing the pool of women candidates at every level so that new employment and pro- motions should not rely on preferential treatment or quota system. Attraction and facilitation through company culture is the key to changing the underrepresenta- tion. Small to Medium Businesses such as Bluedrop Training & Simulation have em- braced gender diversity, putting in place company policies to attract women to be part of its diverse workforce and facilitate their professional development. "What attracts women candidates to Bluedrop is our company culture," says Kim Wet- tlaufer, Director of Human Resources. "The culture includes employment equity, social corporate responsibility, community engagement, and flexible work arrange- ments." Visibility comes in many forms and while many businesses are internally rec- ognizing their trailblazers, there are also many industry organizations that have established unique ways to acknowledge female role models. For example: • International Aviation Women's Asso- ciation (IAWA) provides a worldwide network dedicated to promoting the VIsIbIlIty and Culture Corporal Nova Blackburn, an avionics technician performs post-flight checks on a Royal Canadian Air Force CF-188 Hornet fighter aircra. Photo: DND tOtaL attraCtIOn: advancement of women in aviation and aerospace, providing visibility to female leaders in the industry. IAWA President, Alina Nassar, says "understanding the path and difficulties female leaders have faced in their journey to the top is funda- mental and an inspiration to one's own process." At the 2018 Farnborough Airshow, IAWA introduced a Women in Aerospace and Aviation Charter – a pledge for gender balance – with over 130 companies and organizations from around the world as signatories. • CADSI's Women in Defence and Se- curity (WiDS) promotes and supports the advancement of women in careers related to Canadian defence and secu- rity by developing a community that works together to transform culture, recognizing excellence, developing tal- ent, and creating connections. WiDS celebrates women trailblazers through their annual scholarship. In honour of a woman who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence or policing, the scholarship provides a deserving woman with sup- port to pursue studies related to defence and security. In 2019, WiDS and AIAC conducted a roundtable to learn directly from women employed in Canada's de- fence and security industry called "Let Your Voice be Heard". • KPMG's Women in Aerospace, De- fence and Technology is a forum that highlights the impact of pioneering women, rising stars and champions of diversity across a variety of disciplines; bringing together specialists to provoke conversation on the policies, decisions and technology that influence current events in the sector.

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