Originally Posted by
mikewil
That is because 95% of the people who desire to learn to fly happen to be male. Why give special treatment to the remaining 5% who happen to be female just because they are perceived to be a minority.
And 95% of the people who desire to fly are male, because 95% of people who fly are male, therefore children see it as a men's only job Little girls are discouraged by adults and their peers for their entire lives from wanting to be a pilot. It is not genetic programming that dictates which gender becomes a pilot - it is entirely environmental. The job is just as suited to men as to women.
The problem is the societal pressure (and it is significant, noticeable if you are a woman, perhaps not so much if you are a man).
Women need to be encouraged to fly as much as men are...but when they are girls - much as boys are subtly encouraged and grooomed throughout their childhood (as opposed to women, who are subtly groomed by relatives and teachers to be good wives). Yes it needs to be done at a much earlier stage than interviews...positive discrimination only invites claims that women, despite the evidence, are only in the position because of their gender.
You may not want to acknowledge it, but the women who have made it into aviation currently have faced a much harder battle against societal norms than boys ever did - and they deserve to be congratulated for persisting in chasing their dream. Women in aviation should be encouraged - anyone who thinks that it is a job more suited to men is mildly delusional and does not properly ackowledge that women are just as capable and competent as men. Liking tractors or dolls has entirely no relevance.