The 18th of May each year marks an important day for the maritime industry, as, on this day, it celebrates the International Maritime Organization’s International Day for Women in Maritime.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) established the International Day for Women in Maritime in 2021. This year’s theme is Safe Horizons: Women Shaping the Future of Maritime Safety, and everyone is encouraged by the Organization to participate and celebrate the day on social media using the hashtag #WomenInMaritimeDay.
According to the Organization, “the day celebrates women in the industry and is intended to promote the recruitment, retention, and sustained employment of women in the maritime sector, raise the profile of women in maritime, strengthen IMO’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality), and support work to address the current gender imbalance in maritime.” But why does a historically male-dominated industry need such a day, and why is it important?
Women in maritime: Statistics and challenging truths
The 2022 IMO-WISTA Women in Maritime surveyshed light on the underrepresentation of women in the maritime industry. The findings revealed that women constitute merely 2% of the crewing workforce, with a predominant presence in the cruise sector.
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Regarding ship-owning companies, there’s a notable 34% representation of women in the workforce, with varying distributions across roles: 39% in mid-management, 28% in technical core roles, and 48% in administrative and support positions.
In terms of leadership, 125 out of 500 surveyed companies had female CEOs, 127 had female chief HR officers, and 109 had female chief financial officers.
But why are women discouraged from pursuing a career in the maritime industry?
Women encounter numerous barriers when considering a career in the maritime industry. These include a deeply ingrained male-dominated culture, pervasive stereotypes, safety concerns both physically and regarding harassment, challenges in maintaining work-life balance due to demanding schedules and long periods away from home, and limited access to training and education.
Apart from all these concerns, there is always a much deeper truth that the maritime industry and society as a whole have to face: women are discouraged from pursuing certain careers from a very young age. In particular, cultural and societal norms often discourage women from pursuing careers in maritime roles because seafaring is “a man’s job” and “you won’t be able to have a family if you spend most of the year onboard.”
Unfortunately, this is true for other industries as well, and is a phenomenon also known as the Dream Gap. The dream gap is the space between what young girls dream of doing and what they can actually achieve. This gap happens because of stereotypes and societal biases or rules that say what girls can or can’t do.
Even though girls may have big dreams and great potential, they sometimes feel like they can’t achieve their dreams because of all these things holding them back.
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However, the 2023 Annual Review by the Diversity Study Group (DSG) revealed improvements in gender diversity. The overall gender split shifted to 52.2% male and 45% female, marking a positive change from 2022’s 56.8% male and 41.8% female.
Encouragingly, there’s a noteworthy increase in female representation at lower seniority levels, surpassing the 30% mark. However, leadership roles still lack gender diversity, and there’s a decline in women holding technical positions, highlighting areas for continued focus and improvement.
In any case, in the past few months, major shipping organizations welcomed women in leadership positions for the first time in their history. The International Propeller Club elected Maria Conatser as International President, making her the first woman to be elected to lead the International Propeller Club in its near 100-year history.
Furthermore, Karin Orsel was appointed the first female President ever in the history of ECSA, starting on January 1, 2024, for a two-year term. Moreover, BIMCO’s Director of Contracts & Support, Stinne Taiger Ivø, has been appointed Deputy Secretary General at BIMCO from January 1, 2024, a position never held by a woman before.
Exploring this year’s theme: “Safe Horizons: Women Shaping the Future of Maritime Safety”
As mentioned, the theme for the Day is “Safe Horizons: Women Shaping the Future of Maritime Safety,” which aims to recognize the crucial role women play in enhancing safety measures, whether through their roles as seafarers, maritime professionals, or in leadership positions.
Alas, the industry, in some cases, does little to ensure women’s safety onboard. For instance, since the maritime industry is mostly comprised of men, female seafarers struggle to find suitable protective gear tailored to their needs. This greatly compromises female seafarers’ safety and can put their lives at immediate risk. If the industry wants to provide a safe space for women, ensuring they are provided with proper gear is a vital step.
Additionally, women have different needs than men, and the industry needs to understand and embrace that. As explained by Capt. Ayse Asli Basak, Shipping Operations Manager, Mid-Ship Group LLC, in a panel discussion in during the 2023 Crew Welfare Week, the conditions onboard are quite challenging.
‘’If we do not solve this problem, it will become more difficult to attract more women. Therefore, we have to understand the physical problems of women and facilitate the conditions at sea.
… Ayse Asli Basak explained
For instance, the lack of menstrual supplies like sanitary pads and tampons aboard ships is a significant stressor for female seafarers. This was highlighted as one of the main challenges faced by women at sea in a report by the All Aboard Alliance, which identified 15 significant pain points for women at sea. So, if shipping organizations truly wish to ensure the safety and welfare of women, they should take such factors into consideration and provide the appropriate solutions.
Finally, another major stress point for women, which relates to their psychological safety, is the fear of harassment. Violence, in all its forms, can have an impact on a woman’s health and well-being throughout the rest of her life. It is associated with an increased risk of injuries, depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and many other health problems.
However, there are certain encouraging moves being adopted to protect seafarers. For example, the US Coast Guard has released policies to provide guidance on the implementation of several of the new laws that aim to enhance crew safety on certain commercial vessels and to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct.
On an international scale, in March 2024, a Joint ILO/IMO Tripartite Working Group agreed on several recommendations to combat violence and harassment to be submitted to the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 108), and to the ILO Governing Body.
Furthermore, new provisions will apply to all seafarers by means of amendments to the STCW Code, table A-VI/1-4 (Specification of minimum standard of competence in personal safety and social responsibilities), consisting of a new competence: Contribute to the prevention of and response to bullying and harassment, including sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Looking forward
While progress is being made, sustained efforts from stakeholders across the industry are necessary to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for women in maritime, ensuring equal opportunities and promoting their valuable contributions to maritime safety and smooth sailing.
As with other changes the maritime industry currently must face, such as digitalization and decarbonization, diversifying its workforce and embracing women is not a sprint but a marathon. Efforts should be continuous and attentive, adapted to the needs of the female workforce.
While the journey towards gender equality in maritime careers may be lengthy and sometimes challenging, the importance of creating opportunities for women onboard should never be underestimated or disregarded. After all, as Maya Angelou said, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.”
