To assist in the development of a dedicated peer assistance contact line for female pilots and air traffic controllers, the Peer Assistance Network (PAN) Committee has approved the selection of a lead assistance coordinator and deputy.

Janet Taylor is the PAN Coordinator Women’s Assistance and Angela Cronin will support her in the role.

Taylor and Cronin, along with the PAN Committee, are in the process of putting together a Women’s Assistance Forum. A network of women’s assistance volunteers (WAVs) will also be selected and trained to support their colleagues.

PAN Coordinator Herwin Bongers said a career in aviation can prove to be very demanding and stressful for women.

The Women’s Assistance Forum will see the establishment of a support and information venue for female aviation staff dealing with often highly sensitive and complex matters. 

The Forum will be facilitated by female pilots and air traffic controllers who have volunteered their time to support others.

The women’s assistance line is intended to help remove any real or perceived barriers to seek assistance directly from those who have valuable wisdom to share.

“While pregnancy, IVF, childcare, infant feeding, menopause, sexual harassment and female-specific medical matters are not specifically mental wellness issues, they can impact significantly on an individual’s well-being if circumstances compound adversely,” Bongers said.

The Forum is intended to assist with specific enquiries that do not involve significant stress, anxiety, low mood or mental well-being issues.

“Offering to connect female pilots and air traffic controllers with their female peers is a great way to start conversations,” Bongers said.

More than half of NZALPA’s existing peer support volunteers (PSVs) are women.