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The International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2023, is #DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.
In line with the international women’s day, Mamaj Aviation blog is celebrating some leading women holding her own in the Aviation, travel and tourism industry in Nigeria, whose story will inspire women out there…Women who are working assiduously behind the scenes, pushing boundaries and leaving a mark!
1. Please introduce yourself, your name, where are you from. Give us a brief career history. What schools did you attend?
My name is Faith Odushola Boegheim from Lagos Nigeria. I started my journey into aviation at 43 Air school South Africa in the year 2000 at the age of 17. A year later I graduated with my commercial pilots license after which I started flying with Aero contractors Nigeria on the De Havilland Dash 8 aircraft series. I later moved on to the Boeing 737 Classics where I built my experience on the jet aircraft. In 2009 I got upgraded to a Captain on the Dash 8. I have since moved out of Nigeria and currently fly in Europe.
2. How many years have you spent in the Aviation Industry? Pursuing a career in Piloting which was once a male dominated field , what challenges did you face?
In my 23 years in the aviation industry, yes, there has been challenges working in a male dominated which I can’t say for sure if it was based on my age or gender or both, but I quickly learnt I had to work twice as hard to prove myself to earn my stripes but I must say I had a lot of encouragement from my dad and a great support and training from most of my male colleagues and bosses , and with God on my side, the sky was no limit.
3. As one of the main female Pilot, under the Naija Female pilots group who is passionate about grooming young female aviators, What inspired you? Tell us some of the projects you have done so far?
Well I won’t say I am one of the main persons, we work as a team actually. I believe we could all reflect on our early days in the industry and how we would have loved to have mentors and role models and we decided we wanted to be that for each other and for young girls. We have worked on so many small projects in the past and more recently we worked alongside Experience Aviation, a platform that mentors and give young people an experience in aviation, to focus on motivating and inspiring the girl child with grand events on the UN’s International Day of the Girl. We have, by God’s grace been able to do this 2 years in a row and hope we can continue to do this.
4. You have invested so much in grooming young women through your advocacy programs. What drives you?
The passion to see young women and girls succeed and not be limited in their thinking and potentials by societal standards and cultural expectations. I remember as a young girl I never thought some things were possible. They say knowledge is power, there is so much we can achieve by informing and exposing kids at a young age to what possibilities lies ahead of them and what they can accomplish with a little determination.
5. We all know it takes a lot of finances to do this? How do you get funding for your projects?
As a group of female pilots, we started out funding the projects from our own pockets. Despite commitments to our families, the ladies always make this sacrifice for the greater good. As the projects became bigger, we had to source for sponsorship and collaborations from aviation companies and private investors who supported by providing a hosting venue, access to simulators , access to aircraft excursions and donating gift items for the kids. Over the last two events, we have had tremendous success in Lagos, Kaduna and Jos where we got great support from the female pilot group and other women in other aviation sector who rose up to the occasion to bridge shortcomings and also volunteer at the events despite the challenges of Covid and security.
6. What is your most memorable Career moment?
My most memorable career moment was getting to fly with my dad. It was very special for me and I think it was a proud moment for him.
7. You wear many caps, how do you cope with the demands of the different roles? What strategy have you adopted to help you cope?
It’s by God’s grace and wisdom really. I don’t have answers but I have got support . I was once in a relationship where I endured physical and emotional abuse and I was limited in what I could do. Hence I know first hand to appreciate a great support system that lets you thrive despite difficult circumstances. Working in Europe does not provide me the luxuries I had while working in Nigeria, yet I manage to still go to work and give my best, it’s just God and the support he has surrounded me with. We do encounter our challenges from time to time but together we move forward, one step at a time and when it gets too much, we pause.
8. How have you been able to balance work life and family?
Work and family life is not completely balance as I would like but as they say, it takes a village. I am grateful for being part of an amazing village. It gets very difficult sometimes for me being away from home a lot but I have learned to make the times we spend together count. Doesn’t always work out as planned but we keep striving to show the ones we love that we care, regardless of distance.
9. What challenges have you encountered on the job and on your journey to the top, especially as a woman?
The most difficult challenge for me as a woman is equity. I still believe that we are not still treated as equals as our male colleagues. Over the years, I have witnessed female pilots being limited or restricted because they are female, because they will “go and get pregnant “, because they have to look after the children etc. I believe statements and limitations like these are unfair as it applies to both men and women. As women have maternity leave , men have paternity. As a woman would go home for a sick child, I believe fathers will do that too.
You hear constantly of ‘breaking glass ceilings’ and 9 out of a 10 times it is about a woman achieving something extraordinary. My question is, why do we still have these glass ceilings anyway? We should all have a fair and equal access to achieving career opportunities all the way to the top. If we give a fair chance to every woman without making her leap over obstacles just to prove she can work harder than her male counterparts, we will have less women quitting their careers untimely.
10. With reference to this year’s campaign theme, what is your opinion about “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.How can relate this to Aviation?
The female gender is making great strides in innovation and technology but it is still very limited. Not enough girls and women are exposed to technology and computer age. We are still underrepresented in STEM fields. We need to empower girls and women in this digital age to be able to stand side by side with their counterparts and make important decisions that will influence positive changes for the human race.
In aviation, female representation in the world is 1%. Only a handful of countries can boast of two digits, including Nigeria. We are still very far from a diverse and inclusive industry.
11. What advice do you have for the aspiring young women out there who may want to tow your line of profession?
It takes commitment, it takes dedication and it takes discipline. My advice to every young woman pursuing this profession and those that are just in is to be genuinely passionate and do their absolute best even when no one is watching. Leave the door open for other women coming behind you. Listen to criticism and take out what you can learn from them. With humility and integrity, you can stand before kings with your head high.
12. Where do you see yourself in the next few years?
I see myself taking a more influential role in aviation sustainability and training. I’d continue to share my knowledge and experiences with the younger generation while hopefully taking more time to travel the world. There are still a lot of countries on my list that I’d love to see.
