In a world where there is still a fight for gender equality, it was refreshing to see the U.S. military honor a female fighter and her groundbreaking career history by furthering gender equality through an all-female memorial flyover.

Capt. Rosemary Mariner was one of the first women to earn her pilot wings in 1974 and was the first Navy female fighter pilot. She faithfully served from 1973 to 1997. Mariner broke many glass ceilings throughout her career. She was among the first women to earn her pilot wings, the first woman to fly a tactical fighter jet and the first woman to command a naval aviation squadron. That is only the tip of the iceberg of her accomplishments.

Mariner lived in a time in which women had to work twice or three times as hard to earn their spot in male-dominant fields. Yet, she did not let gender discrimination stop her from achieving all that she set out to accomplish. On Feb. 2, the Navy commemorated her life and years of service with the first-ever all-female flyover.

Not only is a flyover a great and respectful way to honor her life and death, but what better way to commemorate a female who broke glass ceiling after glass ceiling in her field than by making history for gender equality with the first ever all-female flyover?

Today, we live in a social climate that is all about making nice speeches and statements about what needs to be fixed and where changes can be made. In a time where it can sometimes feel as though the world is all talk and no action, it was very inspiring and refreshing to see the U.S. military celebrate in this way.

While it is not equal pay, it is a step in the right direction, especially since it was done by a government agency, setting the precedent for equal opportunity. Gender equality does not mean favor females in fields due to past discrimination, but instead means to offer the same opportunities and same pay for those who deserve it.

 In 2018, the Census Bureau found that full-time, year-round working women earned 80 percent of what their male counterparts earned, meaning that it would take women 47 extra days of work to equal what their counterparts would make in less time. This shows that there is still a lot of work to be done.

This navy funeral by no means makes up for the lack of justice in gender discrimination in the work place, but it is a step in the right direction.

There are brilliant, competent men and women in the world, serving in a variety of fields. Including aviation, the Navy could have selected a variety of fully competent male or female flyers, but they chose to make history by choosing an all-female flyover. While we may not know whether these women were paid the same as male flyers may have been, the choice does a lot to promote equality, competence and hope for a better, more equal future.