Maj. Doboš takes part in conference “Equality is better for everyone”
Major Dijana Doboš, a Canadair 415 co-pilot and a member of the Firefighter Squadron and of the 93 Air Base of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence took part in the conference “Equality is better for anyone” held on 7 March 2018 organised by the Jutarnji list daily and IKEA on the occasion of the international Women’s Day.
Major Doboš is the sole female Canadair pilot in Croatia, and one in two in the world (the other a member of the Spanish firefighter forces). The Croatian Air Force and Air Defence has a total of 13% women, and five active duty pilots.
The Conference was attended by the Head of the Croatian Government’s Office for Gender Equality Helena Štimac Radin and by the Ombudsperson for Gender Equality Višnja Ljubičić, Major Doboš confessed that she was faced with prejudices during her pilot education, but they did not impede her achieving her dream and becoming successful and recognised.
“I can say today that I have positive relations with my colleagues, although they told me that the profession of military pilot demanded specific expertise and skills, met by only 1% of men; women were not even considered to be able to do the job“; Major Doboš underlined the support she had from her husband throughout the time.
Major Doboš joined the Croatian Armed Forces in 1999. She exercised the duty of a pilot, flight instructor and platoon commander of the Fixed-wing Squadron. She was also a member of the “Wings of Storm“ aerobatic group of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence (2004 -2007) as the world’s third woman member of an aerobatic group; she performed at 24 events in Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Romania.
During her pilot career Major Doboš logged ca 1,700 flying hours and ca 10,000 landings with UTVA-75, Pilatus PC-9M and Canadair CL-415 aircraft, and also 5,000 water bombs driopped at fvarious fire sites during her service in the Firefighter Squadron, when she was also dispatched to international firefighter missoons (in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Israel).
The Croatian Armed Forces is anong top NATO member nations with regard to the percent of women among the personnel. The 2017 figures show 11% females in the active duty personnel, comparable to Germany.