JetSetGo to have a gender neutral workforce by 2017: Kanika Tekriwal

Though the percentage of women in Aviation in India is higher than the global average, there is still loads to do to achieve gender neutrality completely in the field. Private aviation business- JetSetGo is all set to take a positive step in that direction by aiming to achieve a 50percent women workforce dream by 2017.

Going to an aviation event and being the only woman in a crowd of 150 odd men made Kanika Tekriwal, founder of JetSetGo realise that gender bias is for real and not just a mentality. “This had me rather worried about how delusional my views on gender bias at the work place were. I have always been a strong propagandist of gender bias being a state of mind rather than reality." says Kanika.

She then asked her team to research for the actual percent of women in private aviation sector. She was baffled to find that only 3-8percent women comprise of the total number of people working in the private aviation companies." I have also come to the realisation that a lot of people don’t hire a perfectly qualified person for a certain kind of job just because she is a woman,” opined Kanika matter-of-factly.

About the gender imbalance, she said it is the mindset we grew up in. “I have had people telling me who will work when she gets pregnant and stuff like that. But I personally believe that women contribute more than men. They are more emotional about their job.”

The minimal percentage led her to take up an initiative to increase the number of women working for her to a ratio of 50percent men to 50percent women. This will change the demographics of the aviation industry holistically.

JetSetGo being the first market place for hiring private jets and helicopters, it is started by a woman. Being one of the female founders in the aviation, she expressed that she has gone through tougher times when she took up entrepreneurship, but she overcame that and feels that there are many people now who trust her more because she is a woman.

Having a higher percentage of women members in the Aviation does not stop us from having more. Having equality is our right as people and as the largest democracy in the world. Because at the end even democracy slightly means equality for everyone.

Picture credit- Yo success