MalawiAirlinesmadehistorywithanall-femaleoperatedandsupportedflight.ThecompanycelebratedIWDinstyleandboldnessasanall-womencrewtooktotheskiesinaBombardierQ400flownfromBlantyreinMalawitoDaresSalaaminTanzania,withastopoveratKamuzuInternationalAirport(KIA)inMalawi.
Co-pilots,CaptainYolandaNdalaKaundaandFirstOfficerLusekeloMwenifumbo,weregivenred-carpettreatmentontheirarrivalinKIAwheretheyweregreetedbyMalawi鈥檚FirstLadyGertrudeMutharika,andMaryChilima,wifeofMalawianVicePresidentSaulosChilima.Theall-femaleflightandattendantteamwerewelcomedwithgiftsandwordsofencouragementataspecialreceptiongiveninrecognitionoftheflightrepresentingMalawiasasymbolofwomen鈥檚empowerment.
MalawiAirlines鈥橮ublicRelationsOfficerJosephJosiahsaidhistoryhadbeenmade.
鈥淵es,theeventonMarch16thwasthefirstofitskindbyMalawiAirlines.Itwasthefirsttimeaflightwasoperatedbyanall-womenteam,鈥漵aidJosiah.Hesaidthecompanydoesnothaveastand-alonepolicyongender,butthatgenderisstreamlinedwithinitspoliciesinrecruitment,managementandworkplace.
鈥淲eareanequalopportunitycompany,assuchwestrivetoachievegenderinclusivenessatalllevelsofouroperations,鈥漢esaid.
Motivation
LittleisknownaboutCaptainKaunda,apartfromthefactthatshejoinedMalawiAirlinesinJuly2013asafirstofficerandthenclimbedtherankstocaptaininMarch2016.ButforMwenifumbo,herjourneyhasbeenfullofsurprisesassheneverdreamtaboutbecomingapilot.Shesaidthatacareerinlawwasonthecardsandwhatshethoughtwasbestsuitedforher.
鈥淟awwassomethingIthoughtIwouldbegoodatbecauseIhadagenuineinstincttoalwaysdefendthevulnerable,鈥漵hesaid.
However,herfather,MalawianlegislatorFrankMwenifumbo,believesitwasherteacherChituzuNyirendainsecondaryschoolthatwasthegenesisbehindherunplanneddetourintoaviation.
Mwenifumbosaidherteacherinstilledconfidenceinfemalestudentsbyteachingthemthattheycouldenterandthriveinmale-dominatedfields.Inspirationwasgiventoengageinwhatwerelargelyregardedasmale-onlyterritoriesiftheyremainedcommittedanddedicated.
However,Mwenifumbosaidherfatherwastheonewhointroducedhertotheideaofhavingacareerinaviation.
鈥淢yfatheralwayswantedmetobeapilot.WhenheaskedmewhetherIwantedtotrytoflyaplane,Iwassurprised.IthencuriouslystartedreadingaerodynamicsjusttomakesurethatthoselittleplanesIsawonmanywebsitesthathadflightschoolnamesontheirpatheticlookingrudderswerenotgoingtomakemylifetoughwhenIenrolledfortrainingoneday,鈥漵headded.
Breakingbarriers
Despiteherinterestinaviation,Mwenifumbostudiedbio-medicineatuniversity,butwasunsurewhethershewouldbehappyspendingtherestofherlifeinalaboratory.Aftercompletingherdegree,sheknewitwasacareershewasnotcompletelyenthralledabout.MalawiAirlinesFirstOfficerLusekeloMwenifumboisflyinghighHowever,herdormantinterestintheaviationindustrysoonturnedintoathrivingandlifechangingcareer.
In2011,herfathersenthertoSouthAfricawheresheattendedflightschoolforherab-initiotraining(theveryfirststageofflighttraining).SheobtainedherprivatepilotlicensefromAptracAviation,oneofthetopaviationschoolsinSouthAfrica,andthenmovedtotheMadibaBaySchoolofFlighttogainexperienceinoperatingdifferentaircrafts.Afterfinishinghercourse,MwenifumboreturnedhomeandappliedforthejobwithMalawiAirlinesandsoonafterreceivednotificationoftheirinterestinherapplication.
鈥淢alawiAirlinesnotifiedmethattheyweresendingmetosimulatortrainingfortheirBombadierQ400equipment.TheyhadpickedmeandIcanrememberitasifitwasyesterday!鈥漵aidMwenifumbo.
Equalopportunities
ItisaknownfactthatKaundaandMwenifumboareasourceofinspirationforyoungwomenwhoareeagertolearnandbemotivatedbyotherwomenwhohaveexcelledinmaledominatedarenas.
Inkeepingupthemomentumofrecenteffortstobreakdowngenderbarriersandencouragewomentoreachbeyondtraditionallyprescribedrolesandexpectations,Malawi鈥檚MinisterofGender,Disability,ChildrenandSocialWelfareJeanKalilaniappealedtothecountrytobepartofMalawi鈥檚progressivemovementstoshapeamoreinclusivesociety.
鈥淟etusacknowledgeandappreciatewhatwomenhavedoneinoursociety.GivethemthenecessarysupportinwhatevertheydotomakeMalawiabettercountrytolivein,鈥漵aidKalilani.
NGOGenderCoordinatingNetwork(NGO-GCN)ChairpersonEmmaKaliyaechoedthissentimentinanappealtomen.
鈥淭herearesomemenwholookonwomenasinferiorwhileotherorganizationsdonotevenemploythem.Thisisuncalledforandshouldstopbecausewomenhavethepotentialtoperformiftheyaregiventhechance,鈥漵aidKaliya.
NGO-GCNiscampaigningforequalrepresentationofmenandwomeninleadershipandotherinfluentialpositionsandhascoineditsinitiative,the50/50Campaign.ThiscampaignalongwithothershavecomeduringamomentoustimeforthecountryasMalawicontinuestousherinanewphaseofpragmaticandinnovativeeffortstoimproveinitiativesthatpromotegenderequalityandtheempowermentofwomen.
Mwenifumboappealstogirlsandyoungwomentobehumble,dedicatedandalwaysreadytolearn.Shesaidthisistheonlywaytheycanfulfilltheirambitions.
鈥淚tdoesn鈥檛matterwhoyouare,orwhereyoucomefrom[ruralortown].Whenyoustayfocusedinyourdignityandappreciateyourworthwithhumility,youwillreachyourgoalregardlessofanystereotype,鈥漵hesaid.
Itdoesn鈥檛matterwhoyouare,orwhereyoucomefrom[ruralortown].Whenyoustayfocusedinyourdignityandappreciateyourworthwithhumility,youwillreachyourgoalregardlessofanystereotype.
LusekeloMwenifumbo,FirstOfficer,MalawiAirlines