Etihad Aviation Group is marking 2018 Emirati Women’s Day by hosting several events at its Abu Dhabi headquarters and releasing a video series that focuses on women in aviation.
The special events taking place at Etihad include circle discussions allowing Etihad’s female employees to share their unique stories. A photography exhibition featuring portraits of pioneering female leaders from a range of UAE working environments, including aviation, is also being displayed at the headquarters.
The video series – which will be broadcast on Etihad’s social media channels – champions the role of women in the aviation group and offers a ‘day in the life’ of the Emirati women as they pursue their careers. More than 380 Emirati women are in senior management and managerial roles, 16 pilots and 160 aircraft engineers and technicians.
Ibrahim Nassir, Chief Human Resources & Organisational Development Officer, said: “At Etihad, we understand the importance of a diverse workforce and value the significant contribution made by the women in our organisation. More than half of our UAE National workforce are women, who work in diverse roles across the business including pilots, aircraft engineers and technicians.”
Amina Taher, Vice President Corporate Affairs, said: “It is our responsibility to empower women to achieve success across all areas of our business. We are proud of the contributions made by the Emirati women at Etihad and strive to support their career growth and development. We encourage mentoring and training to ensure our talent is nurtured and developed, and this is proudly showcased throughout the video series which is launched today.”
To celebrate Emirati Women’s Day, there are books about famous Emirati women available for staff to read in the new reading corner and community library at its headquarters, courtesy of Jarir Bookstore. Etihad employees can also enjoy a coffee while reading, thanks to Nespresso.
Emirati Women’s Day is held every year to mark the creation of the UAE General Women’s Union in 1975. The occasion is dedicated to celebrating the achievements of Emirati women and is testament to the progress that has been made towards gender balance in the UAE.
One of the women in Etihad’s video series is Mahra Al Marzooqi, who is undertaking a two-year on-the-job training programme at Etihad Airways Engineering in order to achieve the GCAA Aircraft Engineering Licence.
Mahra said: “It was challenging for me at the beginning of the programme because I was the only woman in the group. However, any nerves were quickly overcome as Etihad management and my colleagues were so supportive and made every day at work a fantastic experience.”
