During an IMO symposium to celebrate the International Day for Women in Maritime, a panel of experts discussed how to incorporate women’s perspectives in shaping the future of maritime safety and underscored the importance of mentorship and educational opportunities to bolster women’s profile in the industry.
The panelists highlighted the existing challenges to women’s safety and professional advancement in the sector. For example, female seafarers face basic barriers such as lack of safety gear in their size, lack of female sanitary products provided onboard ships, and lack of adequate options if they wish to start a family. The risk of bullying and harassment as well as unequal access to on-the-job training are also challenges.
We must – and will – do more to support gender equality. By investing in women’s education and professional development, we empower women, drive innovation and foster sustainability within the maritime industry, to the benefit of all.
… IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez stated while opening the event.
Discussions covered insights into recruiting and retaining women in the workforce, including mentorship, access to training, improving the culture of safety in maritime and raising awareness about gender-inclusive life at sea.
Each one of us is accountable for ensuring safety on ships, both as individuals and organizations. If companies don’t adapt, they will not be able to retain good talent, especially from the younger generations
,,,said Dorothea Ioannou, CEO of SCB Inc., which manages the American P&I Club.
”Those of us who have been in the industry longer should take up the role of being a mentor. It’s about paving the way for the next generation, giving small tips and guidance,” added Karin Orsel, Chair of the European Community Shipowners Association.
Ms. Carolina Riesco, Maritime Law Advisor and Partner at Goldenberg & Riesco shared her experience as part of the MAMLA network for women in maritime administration in the Latin America region. The network facilitates access for women to training courses for their educational development, which helps to raise their profile in the profession.
The key word is education… Networking is also crucial
..she emphasized.
As part of the programme, Ms. Elpi Petraki, President of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA International), updated IMO Member States on the developments of the 2024 Women In Maritime Survey.
The first edition of the survey, published in 2022, found that women account for only 29% of the overall workforce in the general industry and 20% of the workforce of national maritime authorities in Member States. At sea, women seafarers make up just 2% of the crewing workforce and are predominately found in the cruise sector.
Ms Petraki stated: “The past survey results set a benchmark, enabling us to track the progress made over the past three years. The findings [of the 2024 survey] will help us identify strategies that are more effective, where our efforts need to focus and where our policies are most needed.” IMO notifies on its website that the 2024 survey will be launched during the year with further information coming soon.
Celebrating this special day for women in maritime, SAFETY4SEA asked female representatives of the industry to share their perspectives on how to empower women’s presence and overall Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Many participants highlighted the importance of initiatives like training, mentorship, and networking for women’s empowerment, noting that leadership plays a crucial role. It is worth mentioning that many companies have enganged in related initiatives so far. Recently, Columbia Group announced that its female cadet mentoring program that offers a mentor programme to support women onboard, has been a ‘huge success’.
