Its all about "gender equality". Which appears to be a fluid term.
The RAAF has instituted the "Graduate Pilot Scheme". On the face of it a great deal.
Do the 3 year Aviation degree at Griffith University.
After completing one year of degree you can apply for GPS.
*HECS paid.
*Complete the RAAF pilots course as YR3 of the degree
*ROSO of 3 years.
Mentors provided on course.
One extra requirement-Those without Lady-bits need not apply.
Great deal if you are a woman but graduating beside a bunch of males who jumped the same hoops without any of the above assistance and now face a ROSO of 10 years may take some courage.
The above is true. And it's a disgrace. Particularly perturbed, when this was introduced, were the awesome female pilots who had jumped the same hurdles as their male colleagues, met the grade and accepted the same conditions (ROSO). Our concerns regarding this discrimination (it is, undeniably, discrimination) were raised up the chain and CAF's response was that
positive discrimination is legal. What a world we live in.
Two of the BEST instructors I had in my career in the RAAF were female and I KNOW both of them are appalled at this ridiculous concept.
As an aside, I've got kids - the boys like trucks and diggers and cars and the girl likes dolls and prams - they haven't been pushed in that direction and if the boys wanted to play with the dolls and the girl wanted to play with the diggers, that's great. Thankfully, none of them seem much interested in aeroplanes!!
But, you can't artificially make half the population join a career stream that they simply may not be interested in.