Photo: BBC
One prerequisite for a good joke is comedic timing. Your joke can be hilarious, but it will still backfire if you tell it at the wrong time or to the wrong audience. That’s a lesson Qatar Airways boss Akbar al-Baker learned at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) conference in Sydney.
Baker has now issued an apology, after saying at the conference that his job could only be carried out by a man because it’s too “challenging.” Ironically, one the themes at the conference was gender equality and female empowerment. Timing is everything, we told you.
In a statement released to the media, Baker says that the media “sensationalized” his joke because he obviously meant no harm by it. He’s not sexist, he’s just funny and misunderstood, and his continued efforts to promote female workers in his company should stand as proof for that.
“I would like to offer my heartfelt apologies for any offense caused by my comment yesterday, which runs counter to my track record of expanding the role of women in leadership throughout the Qatar Airways Group,” Baker says, as cited by the BBC.
“Qatar Airways firmly believes in gender equality in the workplace and our airline has been a pioneer in our region in this regard, as the first airline to employ female pilots, as one of the first to train and employ female engineers, and with females represented through to senior vice-president positions within the airline reporting directly to me,” he adds.
Of the 280 airline members of the IATA, only 6 have female chief executives, so while Baker’s comment might have been just a joke, they did reflect the mentality operating within the industry. Women are still regarded as not good enough to be put in leading positions, since they would be too “challenging” for them. Sometime, the hardest truths are first told in jest.
In a statement released to the media, Baker says that the media “sensationalized” his joke because he obviously meant no harm by it. He’s not sexist, he’s just funny and misunderstood, and his continued efforts to promote female workers in his company should stand as proof for that.
“I would like to offer my heartfelt apologies for any offense caused by my comment yesterday, which runs counter to my track record of expanding the role of women in leadership throughout the Qatar Airways Group,” Baker says, as cited by the BBC.
“Qatar Airways firmly believes in gender equality in the workplace and our airline has been a pioneer in our region in this regard, as the first airline to employ female pilots, as one of the first to train and employ female engineers, and with females represented through to senior vice-president positions within the airline reporting directly to me,” he adds.
Of the 280 airline members of the IATA, only 6 have female chief executives, so while Baker’s comment might have been just a joke, they did reflect the mentality operating within the industry. Women are still regarded as not good enough to be put in leading positions, since they would be too “challenging” for them. Sometime, the hardest truths are first told in jest.
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