DEI attacks can thicken glass ceilings

Women’s History Month began as a way to honour women’s contributions throughout time. It was meant to commemorate their “firsts” and perhaps more importantly, to inspire future generations of ladies to achieve greatness.

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Unfortunately, that second objective is in danger. If politicians and businesses continue to abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) measures, which have helped qualified underrepresented people gain access to career opportunities, the next generation of history-makers could be drastically delayed. And, what’s more, integration in professional fields may never be achieved. This is true of many industries, but I often think about how gender disparity shows up in the aviation field because my eight-year-old daughter wants to be a pilot, just like her dad. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, women make up just 4.68% of all aircraft pilots. If my daughter were to join their ranks tomorrow, she would be among the less than 13% of them that industry groups estimate are Black women. The numbers are even bleaker for Asian and Latino women.