As the father of girls who like pink and think being pretty is the most important thing in the world
, I'm all for a bit of
PR that pushes the idea that women can work in male dominated industries. A lot of society seems to be sitting back fat dumb and happy thinking we've got this equal opportunity
sorted, but the mere fact that some industries are
so male dominated for no good reason (it's not like flying an aeroplane involves skills or abilities that women don't possess) would show that we don't have it sorted yet. It's not just a matter of giving equal opportunity, it's also a matter of making women feel
welcome here.
I'm not advocating for preferential treatment. In terms of gender split I think interviews given should be roughly proportional to applications received and jobs given should be roughly proportional to interviews. This should be achievable by simply hiring on merit.
There is certainly a place though, for continued promotion of women progressing into male dominated industries. Let the youngsters know it's ok to dream of flying. The same goes the other way as well. Men should feel comfortable aspiring to be flight attendants without it automatically being associated with their sexuality.