There has been much discussion about diversity, equality, and inclusion at international maritime conferences, and there are more women in the shipping sector than ever before, yet the numbers remain very low.
The first IMO and WISTA International Survey on Women in the Maritime Sector conducted in 2021 revealed that, despite an increase in numbers, women contributed only 2% to the maritime workforce. Moreover, they constituted only 29% of the overall workforce in the maritime sector.
This year, a second WISTA survey will be conducted, launching in September. I am confident that it will show progress when it comes to raw statistics.
However, any progress should not lead to complacency: I believe it is time for leading companies to take their next steps.
One area to focus on will be the existing opportunities for women's career advancement. Like many other trends in employment, shipping is not unique in this regard. Women are often overlooked in the workplace and face barriers to career progression despite having ambition, competence, and expertise.
Whether we like it or not, among the reasons for this are age and workplace expectations related to parenthood—or unconscious bias—even in societies that consider themselves liberal.
A recent survey conducted with over 1,200 professional women across various sectors and management levels in Switzerland found that nearly one in two women aged 41-45 expressed increasing dissatisfaction with their career progression. 90% of the respondents wanted to advance further in their careers.
The same research found that parenthood does not diminish ambition for career advancement.
Changing attitudes towards parenthood that hinder these ambitions can be challenging, but practical adjustments can be made if company leadership is flexible and open to doing things a little differently.
In a recent example from my own company, a female employee had a baby and aims to return to sea on time. However, since she preferred to return to work earlier, we found a way to utilize her office experience in a mutually beneficial manner.
More generally, relatively small and easily implementable changes often make a significant difference in working conditions and workplace cultures.
Among the successes was the wider availability of protective clothing for women on ships, but many other small changes can have substantial impacts. Ensuring that women's restrooms are located close to where they work in ports and on ships can make a tremendous difference, especially if it’s a place like the engine room. Again, providing hygienic products on ships should be a fundamental workplace requirement rather than a problem.
Such small measures can have a disproportionate impact on creating safer and better working environments. Similarly, changes in onboard cultures really start to gain momentum when there are more women: having four women on a ship instead of just one or two makes a dramatic difference.
Sustainable momentum will also depend on our continued focus on making a difference as women in the maritime sector. Panel discussions on diversity, equality, and inclusion are invaluable for advancing the conversation, but women in technical and management positions are also fully qualified to participate in business panels and demonstrate how their contributions can benefit industry thinking.
Together with the IMO, WISTA has done its part to find and promote female speakers in the shipping sector through the Maritime Speakers Bureau platform. My point here is that women also need encouragement from their employers, to prepare themselves for such opportunities, and to stand up and speak out.
Of course, we must highlight instances where companies prevent women from attending WISTA conferences, which are dedicated to learning and gaining confidence from an organization committed to equal opportunities.
The goal is not to 'change men' but to better empower women in a way that creates a fairer, discrimination-free environment that demonstrates how our sector is evolving to improve and attract the new talents it needs for the future.
We know the challenges ahead are significant: women in the maritime sector still often earn low wages and, despite having good qualifications, do not advance to top positions as quickly as men. Again, setting aside their advancement as seafarers, women working in ports often lack standardized job specifications: for a woman, changing jobs can often mean taking a lower position and having to prove herself to return to where she started.
Fortunately, awareness is increasing, and it is encouraging to see more companies reaching out to WISTA for guidance on how to improve diversity and inclusion within their organizations.
In conclusion, it is about ensuring the widespread adoption of policies and training that enhance understanding of the benefits and importance of DEI, address biases, and create a fairer working environment for everyone.
To truly start changing behaviors and mindsets, we must practice what we preach; if we want to create real cultural change for the maritime industry and society as a whole, words alone are not enough.
Source: www.denizhaber.com