ENTEBBE: UCAA Decries Low Enrollment of Girls in Aviation Sector

By Sadique Bamwita

ENTEBBE

The Deputy Director General of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), Olive Lumonya Birungi, has decried the low enrollment of girls in Uganda’s aviation industry.

She called on young girls to enroll in the aviation sector so as to match with other countries in the African region. She argues that the number of girls or women in Uganda’s aviation industry is too low compared to other countries across the East African region.

She raised this concern on September 11, 2024, during the Girls Aviation day held at Entebbe International Airport.

Mrs. Olive Lumonya Birungi, who  addressed over 100 school going girls from different schools across the country, revealed that currently the number of girls in the Aviation sector stands at 32%,which is so low compared to other countries in the region.

“We have invited girls as an effort to attract more of them to join our technical areas in the aviation sector such as Air navigation services, Air traffic controllers among other fields. Currently the numbers are still very low and there are very few girls in the aviation sector. In the past years the numbers were worse but now looking at the trend, the numbers are increasing by 5% every year which puts us at 32%. However, when we compare with other countries in the African region the numbers are still down, “Mrs. Olive Lumonya expressed displeasure.

‘In the African region, women have started occupying top positions and some have been appointed director generals of the Civil Aviation Authority in their respective countries.’

She further noted that in order to increase the number of girls in the Aviation sector, they have started visiting schools to create awareness about the Aviation Industry.

“We have started visiting schools so as to attract more girls at an early stage to pick interest in the aviation industry. Our objective is to increase women in the aviation sector,” she says.

The Director marketing at Air serv Ltd, Ms. Robinah Nalumu, said as one of the key players in the Aviation Industry, they have resorted to organizing Annual Girls Aviation Day to inspire more girls to join aviation in the fields of piloting, and engineering among others.

“We have invited girls from different schools to equip them with information on how they can become future aviators. This is our first event to host girls and we shall be doing it annually. The girls have had interactions with different panelists from different aviation sectors like Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, Uganda Airlines, Air Serv Ltd etcetera. Our Second Girls Aviation Day will take place next year in early February,‘ Mrs. Nalumu disclosed.’

Ms. Eve Luyiga an air traffic controller at Entebbe International Airport called on more girls to join the aviation sector and change the thinking that the industry is for only men.