The United States is pushing to rename and withdraw funding from a United Nations aviation agency’s program that focuses on “gender,” which encourages women’s participation in the aviation field. This move comes as the current administration challenges diversity initiatives ahead of a major meeting of aerospace regulators later this year.
In a working paper submitted before the agency’s triennial assembly starting September 23, the U.S. proposed changing the name of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Gender Equality Programme to the Empowerment Program for Women. The goal is to eliminate the term “gender,” which the U.S. describes as ideological. Additionally, the U.S. requested confirmation that no regular budget funds would be allocated to the program under its existing name.
The ICAO program aims to promote equality within the aviation sector, where men dominate roles such as pilots and aerospace mechanics. The U.S. paper acknowledges upcoming shortages of skilled aviation personnel worldwide but opposes initiatives that offer advantages based on sex or other attributes rather than on individual merit.
The administration, led by a Republican president, has prioritised rolling back policies designed to support diversity, and this approach now extends to aviation. The working paper coincides with the nomination of a former airline pilot as the U.S. ambassador to the Montreal-based aviation agency—a nomination that has faced opposition from a major pilots’ union.
Earlier this year, the administration issued a directive to review and reverse diversity efforts within aviation safety roles. It also restored the use of the term “Notice to Airmen” (NOTAM), reversing a previous decision to adopt more inclusive language.
According to the paper, renaming the ICAO program is intended to better address the needs and perspectives of women specifically. Requests for comment were redirected to the Department of State, which has yet to respond. The aviation agency declined to comment. Established in 1944 after an international agreement, the agency sets global standards on aviation safety and operations through consensus.
