In an online speech held on the occasion of the International Day for Women in Maritime, Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the IMO, highlighted the significant strides made in promoting diversity and inclusion in the ocean freight and society, emphasizing the role of women seafarers in daily freight operations and fostering a barrier-free environment for their recruitment.

Based on a survey, the challenges and obstacles identified for women seafarers include the following:
Difficulty in Achieving Professional Success for Women Seafarers
Women seafarers only seek fair treatment and equal opportunities for skill development and career advancement, similar to their male colleagues. However, in many cases, they face discrimination and disrespect due to their gender. This discrimination often comes from male colleagues and can hinder their ability to gain respect and more responsibilities.
One senior officer says, “They think that because you’re a woman, you can’t do this job.”

Need to Perform Better than Male Colleagues to Be Recognized or Promoted
Many women seafarers say they have to prove themselves repeatedly and perform better than men to be considered for career advancement. One senior officer says, “I always feel like I have to work harder than my male colleagues and prove myself. Male colleagues get promoted for mediocre work, but I have to be exceptional to get promoted.”
This pressure to prove themselves makes women feel that, in the workplace, especially on ships, they must demonstrate better performance than their male counterparts to receive the same opportunities and career advancements.

Unequal Access to Onboard Training
Another challenge that women seafarers face is that, at times, they are given fewer opportunities for practical training on ships compared to their male counterparts. One officer says, “They have low expectations of you because you’re a woman, so fewer opportunities are given to you, and you get less feedback, while we should be trained the same way men are.”
Such unfair treatment not only leads to a reduction in the skills and experience of women seafarers, but it also makes them feel they must overcome more obstacles to learn and advance in their careers.

Differentiating Tasks Assigned to Women Seafarers Compared to Male Colleagues on Ships
One of the major challenges that women seafarers report is the experience where male colleagues and senior officers, especially those from older generations, do not believe a woman can perform tasks that require technical knowledge or physical strength (Ordinary seafarer, 1 year at sea).
Another challenge reported is the misconception that women are more precise in administrative tasks, so they are assigned more clerical work (Senior officer, 15 years at sea). One interviewee shares, “Some crew members are unwilling to give me work orders, even though I have demonstrated my strength and abilities” (Ordinary seafarer, 2 years at sea).
Long Contracts
The main trouble associated with long contracts and assignments is that women are forced to choose between continuing their seafaring career or starting a family. One engineer says, “The main reason women don’t go to sea or decide to leave the job is the length of the contracts. Women want to be successful in their careers and have a family. But when it comes to family, they have to make a choice. If the contracts were shorter, more women would consider continuing their careers at sea.”

Lack of Family Planning Options, Including Maternity Leave and Sea-Shore Rotations
According to a recent McKinsey analysis of women in the workplace, the pandemic has significantly increased stress and mental health challenges among working mothers. Women seafarers who participated in interviews have requested support from companies so they can manage both family and career at sea without bearing the heavy burden of stress and mental health issues. One second engineer says, “If my employers support me with this and help me, I will stay at sea for many years.”
While the ocean freight faces its own challenges, ground transportation also faces similar problems and opportunities, which can provide valuable lessons for improving working conditions for women in comparison with other sectors.

Lack of Willingness Among Companies to Hire Women Seafarers
Another challenge reported by many women seafarers is the difficulty in getting hired, especially at the early stages of their careers. This challenge varies greatly depending on geography and culture. One woman seafarer says, “Only two crew companies agreed to take me as an engineering intern, 98% of the companies I started with didn’t even want to talk to me.”
The severe consequence of these problems is that some women seafarers feel they are practically pushed out of the ocean freight industry and move towards the cruise industry or completely leave the seafaring profession.
Conclusion
Based on the results of research regarding career opportunities for women seafarers, it is necessary for the maritime industry and companies in this sector to make greater efforts to create equal conditions and provide suitable facilities for women in this profession.
Some of these measures include shortening contract lengths, improving access to practical training and equal job opportunities, as well as establishing sea-shore rotation programs and providing family support such as maternity leave. These steps will ultimately lead to greater recruitment of women into the industry and also help retain and advance them in their seafaring careers.
However, the joint cooperation among authorities, companies, and organizations across various parts of the world, though not uniform, can effectively bring about positive and lasting changes in the maritime industry. We hope that in the future, ideal spaces will be created where women seafarers can fully benefit from job opportunities and achieve professional success.
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