Less than one in five working in maritime today are women

Ahead of Sunday’s International Women in Maritime Day, a new, giant survey jointly conducted by  the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) shows how shipping remains a male-dominated industry, with women making up just 19% of the total workforce sampled. At sea, that figure drops to just 1%. 

Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of IMO, admitted shipping has “some way to go” when it comes to gender diversity.

“Female representation is still disproportionately low, and women represent a small fraction of the seagoing workforce, highlighting the urgent need for continued commitment and action,” Dominguez said. 

Elpi Petraki, president of WISTA International, commented: “Attracting, retaining and promoting women – both on land and at sea – remains a priority moving forward. However, the new data also shows how opportunities across the industry continue to be limited for women due to barriers such as gender stereotyping, workplace safety concerns, a lack of family-friendly policies and the ongoing gender pay gap.”

On Sunday, Splash will be taking part in the Rewriting Women into Maritime History initiative – a collaboration with leading maritime organisations to raise the profile of female maritime expertise, experience and leadership, and help promote gender equity, diversity and inclusion.