Uganda Aviation has inched a step forward towards bridging the gender gap, as a second female flight instructor has graduated, two years after Capt. Esther Kyokunda.
Cathy Kitandwe graduated from Vine Air Flight Academy in Jinja on April 4, 2022 together with three others.
“We would like to congratulate Cathy Kitandwe on becoming the 2nd female Flight Instructor in Uganda. We are happy to see more ladies taking on this role and hope to see more ladies become instructors in the future. Congratulations Cathy and keep shattering those ceilings,” Uganda Professional Pilots’ Association announced in a tweet.
Kitandwe has graduated from the same school as Esther Kyokunda the first flight instructor.
“Meet Catherine Kitandwe. The second Certified Female Flight Instructor in Uganda after Capt. Esther Kyokunda. They are both products of Vine Air Flight Academy. We are Proud,” the Academy announced in a tweet.
The Uganda Professional Pilots’ Association is an association for both professional pilots and aeronautical engineers. Their main aim is to promote and safeguard the interests of pilots and aeronautical engineers in Uganda. .
The tweet was followed up by a stream of congratulatory messages upon completing such a huge milestone.
“We are immensely proud of you ladies, y’all keep soaring higher. There is a lot of power in representation, y’all give the young females people to relate and aspire to,” said Andra Loso.
Responding to the UPPA tweet, Andra Loso, however, said Kitandwe is “actually, the 3rd Ugandan female flight instructor. The first was the late Itudria Andy Rachel who was actually Uganda’s first female pilot.”
However, Women in Aviation; A workforce Report reveals that inequality still lurks, as women still make up less than 10% of pilots, maintenance technicians and airline executives, which is still a very low number.
“More emphasis is needed to build upon the 3% of women airline executives and 1% of women captains,” the report states.
The report attributed the problem to work rules which haven’t changed in 50 years.
“Indeed, a recent University of Wisconsin study showed women leave within five years because of lack of advancement or desire to achieve work-life balance, indicating this is a problem not just for the flight deck but for the entire aviation and aerospace industries,” the report states.