MAUN- Botswana will join countries around the world in celebrating Girls in Aviation Day (GIAD) for the first time on September 19, 2026. There will be events planned in Maun and Selebi-Phikwe to inspire young girls to pursue careers in aviation and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
The event, themed “If She Can See It, She Can Be It,” is being organised in partnership with Safari Air Africa and Women in Aviation International (WAI).
Coordinator Virginia Mafa, a pilot at Safari Air, said the initiative aims to expose girls to aviation careers before they make decisions about their future.
“The aim is to expose and inspire young girls before they can reach the stage of choosing the career path to follow, so that their decisions are not based on societal and cultural limitations and pressures,” Mafa said.
Girls in Aviation Day is a global outreach programme of Women in Aviation International that was established 12 years ago in response to low female participation in aviation and STEM fields. While the event is held annually in several countries, 2026 marks Botswana’s debut.
She said the programme is built on the belief that representation matters. “Our whole mission is for them to see and visualise the possibilities this field has for them. We believe that if they can see something, it is easier for them to become that,” she said.
Girls in Aviation Day is a global outreach programme of Women in Aviation International that was established 12 years ago in response to low female participation in aviation and STEM fields. While the event is held annually in several countries, 2026 marks Botswana’s debut.
According to Mafa, the programme was created to bring aviation and STEM opportunities directly to girls while they are still in secondary school.
“The event intends to eliminate shallow thinking and cultivate greater imagination, a desire to dream big and beyond, and to instil the drive to do beyond just normalcy,” she said.
The event will include aircraft displays, airport tours, career exhibitions and interactions with aviation professionals. Safari Air, a subsidiary of Chobe Holdings, is sponsoring the venue and aircraft. Sedia Hotel is also a sponsor. Other partners include Helicopter Horizon, the Botswana Civil Aviation Authority, Women in Aviation International Botswana and the Chiedza Che Africa Foundation.
Organisers hope the initiative will encourage more girls to consider careers in aviation and help build a stronger pipeline of female talent in Botswana’s STEM sectors.
