ISTAT Jetrader - Summer 2020 - 35

2021, but Anderson is confident that
the initiative will go forward when
the time is right. Plans for AWAR
Leaders Luncheons in 2020 have also
been put on hold. "Every participant
in this industry is in survival mode
right now," Anderson says. "The
industry that emerges from this crisis
is going to be fundamentally different
and significantly smaller. People
understand that diversity is important
for the long-term growth and health
of the industry, so I don't think people
are so hunkered down that it doesn't
matter anymore. But it will take work
and time for diversity to become a
priority again."
While it may not be the priority
right now, Barta stresses that a global
pandemic like what we're seeing with
COVID-19 makes the mission of AWAR
even more important, because the
consequences may disproportionately
affect women.
For one, the challenges of parenting
and working full time are outsized for
women, who, according to research,
spend almost double the amount of
time on domestic tasks and childcare
than their male counterparts - and
that's before COVID-19. "We don't have
wives to take care of our children. We
are the wives," Barta says. "But that
does not make us less dedicated to
our jobs."
The act of working remotely
itself also puts women at a
disadvantage to their advancement.
"When working remotely, there's
obviously less visibility," Barta says.
"Pair that with women not being
comfortable with self-promotion, and
it makes our contributions less visible
to management."
Because of this, Barta says
that women might take the brunt
of industry layoffs and may have a
harder time re-entering the workforce
when rebuilding begins. She suggests
company leaders extend flexibility to
their women employees. "If women
need to work part time for now and
your operation can accommodate that

kind of flexibility," she says, "don't
attach bias or stigma to that decision."
"Women and other diverse workers
are disproportionately likely to leave
the workforce during any disruption,
and that is certainly going to be true
of the current crisis," she continues.
Barta recommends that, if layoffs do
need to occur, companies should look
at the percentage of women laid off
and be honest about the inherent bias

A321P2F

A330-300P2F

involved in those decisions. She also
suggests they think creatively about
the redeployment of these women. "If
women are let go, it's going to be so
much more challenging to get them
back into the workforce. We should
look for creative ways to keep them
plugged in to the business, and create
new pathways for them to return to
full-time employment when we rebuild,"
she says.

A330-200P2F

A320P2F

WE ARE
FAMILY!

The Airbus Freighter Conversion

CT
CON TA
-2176
1 8 839
5
3
+49
e
efw.a ro
sales@

www.efw.aero

Jetrader

* SUMMER 2020 * 3 5
http://www.efw.aero
ISTAT Jetrader - Summer 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ISTAT Jetrader - Summer 2020
