Friday, March 8, 2024
On International Women’s Day, Brussels Airlines honors women across its entire organization, boasting a workforce comprised of 52% women. Notably, women hold prominent positions within the company, with 9 out of 20 (45%) top managers and 2 out of 3 (67%) Management Board members being women.
The airline’s mission, encapsulated in the statement “We want to be the most reliable airline, making everyone feel at home,” underscores its commitment to gender equality. With 52% of its total workforce being female, Brussels Airlines surpasses the European industry average of 41%. Despite this achievement, there remains disparity among departments.
The Ground Operations and Cabin Crew departments lead in female representation, with 76% and 72% respectively. Conversely, the IT, Cockpit, and Maintenance and Engineering departments lag behind, with women constituting 26%, 10%, and 5% respectively. However, Brussels Airlines boasts a higher proportion of female pilots compared to the industry average of only 4%.
“It’s not a coincidence that Brussels Airlines has more women than the industry average. When I started my career 25 years ago, women in the cockpit were still a rare breed. But from the moment I set foot on board our aircraft, I’ve always felt supported and treated equally. I know this company embodies diversity, which helps attracting women and keeping them with us to develop their career.”
- Lauretta Verbist, Captain Airbus A330, Brussels Airlines
“People still perceive working in a hangar as a ‘men’s job’. I hear a lot of women who would love to do a job like mine, but don’t dare to take the jump. Therefore, I believe: if you can see it, you can be it. It’s important to show that we do have women working in our hangar and encourage other women to join us.”
– Pascale Slootmans, Cabin Technician, Brussels Airlines
-Women are strongly represented in leadership roles within the Management Boards of Bel20 companies, accounting for 22% of top managers. At Brussels Airlines, a notable two-thirds of Directors are women, including CEO Dorothea von Boxberg and CFO Nina Öwerdieck. In total, 45% of the airline’s top management positions are held by women, underscoring a deliberate commitment to gender diversity.
This intentional inclusivity aligns with the core values of the Lufthansa Group, recognizing the pivotal role played by diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences in fostering the success of the organization. The belief in a workforce characterized by diversity, skillfully harnessed and applied, is seen as key to achieving efficiency and fostering innovation.
Within Brussels Airlines, there are four dedicated Diversity and Inclusion communities, with NTWRKX specifically focusing on female empowerment as part of the airline’s commitment to fostering a diverse and empowered workforce.
“NTWRKX is all about creating awareness about stereotype thinking and unconscious bias. We all have these prejudices, and they affect decision making, also in the workplace. So, it’s important to talk about it and show inspiring examples of women who overcome these stereotypes and pave the way. NTWRK X isn’t just about women talking to women, we actively want to reach out to everyone at Brussels Airlines, because only together we can create true equality.”
- Sarah Han and Susana Fouto, NTWRKX, Brussels Airlines
On International Women’s Day, NTWRKX is hosting a workshop centered on stereotypes and unconscious bias, featuring expert speaker Tamara Makoni.
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Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
