Splash247 - Blowing away barriers on International Day for Women in Maritime
Shipping’s ambitious goals have created unique opportunities for women across industries to bring their experience and skills to support maritime’s evolution, writes Diane Gilpin, CEO of Smart Green Shipping.
Industrial sectors are increasingly vying to attract individuals with the necessary skill-sets and aptitude to drive their businesses forward. With its ‘salty sea dog’ reputation, shipping has traditionally been a closed shop to women. The industry has squandered the opportunity to attract valuable talent which, in turn, has restricted its growth potential.
More recently, concerns about recruitment and retention, allied with the pace of change resulting from digitalisation and decarbonisation programmes, have compelled the industry to consider a hitherto largely untapped woman-power pool. According to a joint IMO-Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) survey published in 2021, women accounted for only 29% of the total workforce and a huge discrepancy was identified between shore-based and seafaring roles, with women making up just 2% of ships crews, mostly concentrated in the cruise sector.