Book Extract : WICKED PROBLEMS – HOW TO ENGINEER A BETTER WORLD By GURU MADHAVAN
Women were hired for crucial support roles that would release men for military duties that women weren’t permitted to perform
ANY SYMBOL OF PROGRESS conceals its regressions, and aviation was no exception. Through the mid-20th century, women’s opportunities in aviation reflected the roles women typically played in society. They started out as cooks and clerks, and recruiters told women that the aviation apparatus was similar to kitchen appliances. Women were hired for crucial support roles that would release men for military duties that women weren’t permitted to perform. In public perception, women diminished their femininity by taking on the aviation roles of men. Jacqueline Cochran, who later broke the sound barrier, wouldn’t exit the plane she piloted without touching up her makeup. That prompted a comment: “Though she flies like a man she hasn’t become trouser-minded.” Read more...
