Spotlighting Women in the Maritime Industry
Women make up a small percentage of seafarers working today in the maritime industry, but their hard work, dedication, & commitment to the industry is every bit as vital and important as their male counterparts that work in the same field. Less than 2% of seafarers working in the maritime industry today are female. Organizations like the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have programs in place to try to bridge the equality gap between male and female seafarers in the industry. The idea of gender balance, the IMO feels, can lead to better economic growth. This in turn can help impact in a positive way communities, companies, and countries. In their words, “equality for women means progress for all.” (International Maritime Organization, n.d.) As International Women’s Day draws near, we want to take a look at key aspects of how women are impacting the industry, the challenges they face, as well as take a look at a few women who are paving the way for others in their respective fields.
It is no secret that women working in the industry face many challenges as seafarers. Gender discrimination is prevalent today and a large majority of women working in the industry feel they need to work even harder than male seafarers just to prove their worth in the job they are doing. Steps are being taken in the industry and from regulators to improve the quality of life for female seafarers’ onboard vessels, as well as taking the necessary steps to attract new women seafarers to the industry. Although the industry is struggling at the moment to hire women, there is hope that, with the hiring campaigns being done and data being accumulated to see where things can be improved, the percentage will slowly rise, and we will see more female seafarers entering the industry. (Aptamind Partners, 2023)
Studies show that over half of the women working in the Maritime Industry are being employed by the cruise industry, half of those holding mid-level positions or higher. In cruise companies, almost half of the leadership roles are held by women. In a recent article from Port of Seattle, they share stories of several female seafarers from Princess Cruises. Women Like Daphne Flores, who is a Guests Services Manager. She manages all financial matters on board and, with the team that she manages, does their best to bring quality service to guests. She truly values her time working as a leader stating in the article, “I have been always very proud to be Mexican, a woman, and a guest services teammate, and to be part of this fascinating industry means to me that all dreams can come true with dedication, perseverance, and teamwork.”
Bee Allen, Human Resources Director for the cruise ship Discovery Princess, is another exceptional female seafarer leading the charge for women in the industry. Her team of two are assisting over a thousand seafarers onboard. She comments, “No two days are ever the same and that keeps you fresh and always looking for new opportunities and solutions,” She sees through her position what newly hired seafarers have to go through, and this helped her gain the experience needed to better attend to them. She states that her role as HR Director suits her well because of her desire to help others. In a similar fashion, Charlene Soriano, Human Resources Manager for Crown Princess, also finds joy in helping others and interacting with her colleagues onboard. As the HR Manager, she supports more than a thousand seafarers. She does her best to help them navigate their lives onboard the ship. Charlene also oversees training and development, and also organizes activities aboard the ship. “I am so proud of my fellow female mariners because it takes strong character to overcome challenges in a unique environment with so many sacrifices made away from home.” She commented while discussing her role as a female leader in the industry. (Port of Seattle, 2023)
These are just a few of the many examples of women that are impacting the Maritime Industry for the better. As stated earlier, more needs to be done to draw in more women to the industry. In a multi-year effort from the All Aboard Alliance, a group of senior leaders from across the maritime industry that are united to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion, prepared a study interviewing anonymously 115 women seafarers from every rank in order to gather data that will improve working conditions for female seafarers. Through this study, they identified the key points that cause road blocks for women to succeed professionally at sea. The study also delves in the employment and social relations challenges women see, as well as the physical conditions onboard for them. As a consequence of the study, Su Yin Anand, the Head of Shipping at South32 and the Co-Chair of the All Aboard Alliance, concluded, “We need to make life at sea more inclusive to women seafarers. But now that we have a better understanding of what the pain points are, we can work together to address them. We do not want them to leave their careers at sea because we need them – and we need many more,” (Global Maritime Forum, 2023)
The challenges women seafarers face in the industry can be seen, but champions such as the ones discussed in this article are beacons of what is to come as the industry percentages keep rising, the more female seafarers keep joining. Events like International Women’s Day try to spotlight the accomplishments of those females’ seafarers already in the industry, and in turn hopefully inspire those that want to join but may be afraid to, thinking that since it is a predominantly male industry, they will not receive the same opportunities. Women like Daphne Flores, Bee Allen, and Charlene Soriano prove that this is not the case, and that they can gain the same opportunities as male seafarers. The tides are turning, the day will come when true equality becomes the norm.
References
Aptamind Partners. (2023, March 15). Cruise Industry is struggling to recruit women across the entire workforce. Retrieved from Mediterranean Observer: https://mediterranean.observer/cruise-industry-is-struggling-to-recruit-women-across-the-entire-workforce/
Global Maritime Forum. (2023, April 27). New study finds 15 key pain points for women at sea. Retrieved from Global Maritime Forum: https://www.globalmaritimeforum.org/press/new-study-finds-15-key-pain-points-for-women-at-sea
International Maritime Organization. (n.d.). Women in Maritime. Retrieved from International Maritime Organization: https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/technicalcooperation/pages/womeninmaritime.aspx
Port of Seattle. (2023, August 8). Meet Three Women Navigating the Cruise Industry. Retrieved from Port of Seattle: https://www.portseattle.org/blog/meet-three-women-navigating-cruise-industry