US Urges ICAO to Rename and Defund Gender Equality Program

The US government has formally requested that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rename its “Gender Equality Programme” to the “Empowerment Programme for Women” and discontinue using regular budget funds for the initiative under its current title. This request aligns with the Trump administration’s broader effort to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across various sectors, including aviation.

In a working paper dated July 30 and submitted ahead of ICAO’s triennial assembly beginning Sep. 23 in Montreal, the United States argued that the renaming is necessary “to remove the ideological term ‘gender’” and to instead concentrate on “the needs and perspectives of women.” The document further urged the agency to employ “clear and accurate language recognizing that women are biologically female and men are biologically male,” rejecting what it described as “an ever-changing concept of self-identified gender.”

Launched in 2017, ICAO’s Gender Equality Programme seeks to increase women’s participation in aviation, a field currently dominated by men, with 94% of pilots, 85% of engineers, and 80% of air traffic controllers being male. The programme parallels the  International Air Transport Association’s “25by2025” campaign, which aims to raise female representation in the sector by at least 25% by 2025.

While acknowledging a global shortage of skilled aviation professionals, the US submission emphasized its opposition to programs that offer preferential treatment based on sex or other characteristics beyond individual merit. It stressed that recruitment for critical aviation roles “must be grounded solely in ensuring the safety and security of airline passengers.”

President Donald Trump has publicly criticized diversity efforts in aviation, claiming they could compromise safety. He notably linked such initiatives to a January fatal accident involving a passenger aircraft and a US Army helicopter piloted by Capt. Rebecca Lobach, who died in the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board has attributed the accident to faulty altitude data, with no pilot error found; final conclusions are expected in 2026.

The working paper also advised ICAO against prioritizing “radical causes” such as DEI policies and recommended reallocating funds away from the current programme title. Instead, it proposed advancing women in aviation “based solely on skills, performance, and merit.”

Earlier this year, Trump issued an executive memorandum directing federal agencies to review and scale back diversity programs within aviation safety roles. The Federal Aviation Administration also reinstated the term “Notice to Airmen” in official  communications, reversing the Biden administration’s adoption of “Notice to Air Missions” to promote more inclusive language.