A new report, titled the “Survey on Gender Equality in Indian Maritime Industry (2024)”, released last week, shedding light on the significant strides and ongoing challenges for women in the Indian maritime sector over the past five years.
The report, developed by Maritime SheEO, with funding from the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Mumbai serves as a follow-up to a similar survey conducted in 2019.
Since the first Maritime SheEO survey in 2019, supported by the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Mumbai, female participation in the sector has significantly increased and continues on an upward trajectory. The representation of women CEOs has risen impressively from 3.9% in 2019 to 21.4% in 2024, while the adoption of gender-neutral practices has grown from 80% to 92.7%. These achievements underscore the success of various initiatives, with women’s participation in the sector poised for even greater growth in the coming years
While the adoption of gender equality policies by employers has significantly increased, with adherence to global standards like the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles rising from 25% in 2019 to 89.3% in 2024, the findings highlight inconsistencies in practice. This underlines the need for clearer communication and more tailored support mechanisms. The report emphasizes the importance of specific actions to improve working conditions and career opportunities for women in maritime roles, particularly in seafaring, where participation has seen only a slight increase from 89% in 2019 to 89.5% in 2024.
Gender Disparity in Leadership
Recent data underscores a significant gender gap in top leadership roles within maritime organizations. Male CEOs and Managing Directors outnumber their female counterparts by a ratio of approximately 4:1, with 78.6% being male and 21.4% being female. This disparity highlights systemic issues hindering women’s advancement to executive positions.
Implications
The predominance of male leaders poses several challenges:
- Barrier to Diversity: Limited female representation at the top hampers efforts to achieve diverse leadership, crucial for fostering inclusive workplace
cultures. - Impact on Organizational Success: Diverse leadership teams drive better decision-making and innovation. The lack of female representation may hinder
organizational performance and growth potential. - Reputation and Attractiveness: Gender-diverse leadership enhances corporate reputation and attractiveness to stakeholders, influencing talent
acquisition and retention.
Strategies for Improvement
To address gender disparity, maritime organizations can implement:
- Mentorship Programs: Pairing aspiring female leaders with mentors fosters guidance and networking opportunities crucial for career advancement.
- Leadership Development Initiatives: Tailored programs equip women with essential skills and strategies for navigating organizational dynamics and
achieving executive roles. - Diversity Quotas: Setting targets for gender representation in leadership roles can accelerate progress towards gender parity.
- Work-Life Balance Support: Flexible policies and initiatives like childcare facilities promote retention and career progression for women.
Recruitment and Gender Neutrality
Despite strong commitments to gender-neutral hiring practices, ongoing challenges and barriers persist for women in maritime careers, with varying perceptions revealing deep-seated stereotypes and biases that continue to influence their employment experiences.
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1. Employers have strong policies aimed at ensuring all job postings are gender-neutral. 2. A significant majority affirm that their organization maintains gender-neutral job descriptions, reflecting a proactive approach to equal opportunity hiring. 3. Most of them indicate that their HR departments are aware of the importance of gender neutrality in job advertisements. 4. While a substantial portion report neutral to good application rates, challenges remain in attracting a consistently high number of female applicants across all job |
1. Half of onshore employees are neutral about securing employment. 2. A significant minorities perceive finding a job as difficult, suggesting 3. Dynamics of seafarers reflect the diverse career trajectories women |
While employers demonstrate a strong commitment to gender-neutral practices and awareness, the perspectives from onshore women and seafarers highlight
ongoing challenges in achieving full gender equality. Progress has been made in promoting gender diversity and inclusivity, but challenges and barriers persist for women applicants and employees. Onshore employees and seafarers reveal deep-seated stereotypes and biases that continue to shape perceptions about women’s capabilities and suitability for maritime careers.
Challenges in Integrating Women into Maritime Roles
According to the report, employers and onshore employees generally perceive positive working conditions and efforts towards inclusivity within shore-based maritime roles, yet ongoing challenges in fostering inclusive cultures and addressing discriminatory practices persist, particularly in recruitment, retention, and career advancement for women.
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1. While more than half employers report no specific obstacles, a 2. 17% face challenges in recruiting women, indicating potential barriers 3. Additionally, some also cite retention issues, suggesting ongoing efforts are needed to ensure women remain engaged and supported in their careers. 4. Almost 10% of them identify challenges in promoting women |
1. Onshore employees reveal deep- seated perceptions and barriers. 2. Employees cite perceived inability of women to balance work and family responsibilities, concerns over women’s ability to handle work pressure and lack of 3. Most seafarers find it difficult to secure new employment, reflecting competitive and challenging conditions in the maritime job market. 4. Seafarers transition from sea to shore-based jobs to maintain work- life balance, and over concerns over mental harassment. |
