Aviation women celebrate Girls in Aviation Day

The Ghana Chapter of Women in Aviation International (WIA), a non-profit organisation, last Saturday, celebrated Girls in Aviation Day, on the theme: ‘Connect, Explore and Experience’.

The celebration brought together schoolchildren and students from senior high schools (SHS), including Ola Girls and Nungua Senior High Schools who were taught on piloting, air traffic control, aircraft marshall, auditing and engineering.

Girls in Aviation Day is a wing of WIA International, which aims to boost the confidence of young girls to explore career opportunities in the aviation industry.

Event

Addressing participants in the event in Accra, the Minister of Aviation, Mr Kofi Adda, said it was necessary for the youth to be abreast of various careers in the aviation industry and how to take advantage of some of the opportunities.

He, therefore, encouraged the children to be assiduous towards studies for a fulfilling career in aviation, and added that “you need to do well in science, mathematics and geography.”

“I will get people who are into aviation to come around your schools to share with you on some of the opportunities and privileges in the industry,” Mr Adda said.

“Get serious about aviation, work hard and do what you have to do for us to also support you,” the sector minister advised.

WIA Ghana

The President of WIA Ghana, Mrs Juliet Aboagye Wiafe, said the vision of Girls in Aviation Day celebration was to explore the various careers in the aviation industry to the world and mentor young girls for their future.

She said the celebration targeted girls between the ages of eight and 17.

Eardrum damage

The Senior Traffic Controller of the Ghana Civil Authority (GCA), Ms Ivy Ampah, for her part, cautioned the youth to avoid the use of earpiece which had several health implications on their eardrum.

She said, “The earpiece must be used for the right purpose, while the volume is always at the minimal level to avoid damaging the ears. Sometimes we open the volumes of our handset which could be heard by the third person loudly.”

“For you to be recruited into the aviation industry your ears must be sharp and open,” she said, adding that a person in the aviation industry had to be very sensitive to perceive the lowest form of noise.

Those who want to go into the aviation industry, particularly as air traffic controllers, must avoid the use of earpiece because your ears will be tested before passing through the other test,” she stated.

A participant, Gifty Kwetey, expressed her appreciation and commended the organisers of the programme, adding that “the programme has helped to put away some doubt and fear I had about the aviation industry”

“My confidence has been boosted to become a pilot and be in the aviation Industry,” she said.