KIA hosts over 200 girls on Girls in Aviation Day

SOME 220 female Senior High School (SHS) students have been exposed to the rudiments of the aviation industry on the occasion of the celebration of the 9th Girls in Aviation Day.

The one-day session hosted by the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) over the weekend saw students from the Accra Girls Senior High School , Tema Senior High School (Temasco), Ola Girls, Lashibi and Afia Kobi Senior High Schools.  

The students were accompanied by their tutors.

The day is celebrated globally by the various chapters of Women in Aviation International (WAI) to inspire young women to take an interest in Aviation.

In Ghana, the event was organised by WAI, Ghana Chapter comprising women professionals working in the Aviation Industry.

In her welcome remarks, the President of the WAI Ghana Chapter and Deputy Director-General (Finance & Administration) of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Madam Juliet Okae said WAI Ghana Chapter was looking at creating Aviation clubs in Senior High Schools to whip up interest in the youth especially girls.

She recalled that the Ghana Chapter was established in 2015 to bring all the women in aviation together.

Madam Okae said the formation of  the Chapter was significant because it serves as an avenue to share ideas and basically harness the potential of Africa’s youth, especially young girls. She said the Girls in Aviation is a flagship programme for the Umbrella body, Women in Aviation International organized annually to inspire young girls to take up professions in the aviation industry. She indicated the need to catch them young and prepare them for the future. She

Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Mrs Pamela Djamson-Tettey, in her remarks noted the diverse, evolving and fast-paced nature of the aviation industry with women professionals blazing the trail in their respective areas such as Airline Managers, Aircraft Engineers, Flight Stewards, Aircraft Marshallers, Air Traffic Controllers, Aviation Security Officers, Rescue and Fire Fighting Officers, Electrical, Civil and Structural Engineers and a host of other professions.

She urged the young girls to take advantage of the opportunity by participating fully in the various educational sessions and tours so that they can share their experiences with their colleagues in school.

Mrs Djamson-Tettey congratulated the President and Executives of WAI, Ghana Chapter for organizing the event.

Deputy Minister for Transport and Member of Parliament for Gushegu Constituency in the Northern Region,  Hassan Tampuli, in his speech noted the enormous potential in the aviation industry that are yet to be harnessed. He told the young girls to consider themselves the privileged few for the kind of exposure being offered and study hard to achieve their full potentials.

He highlighted the critical roles women are playing within the aviation industry and challenged the young girls to emulate the strides and aim for careers in the sector. Women in Aviation International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the encouragement and advancement of women in all aviation and aerospace career fields and interests. They offer educational outreach programs to young girls, national and internationally, through programmes such as the Annual Girls in Aviation Day