Women at sea still face gender discrimination
(Posted on 17/05/21)
How can shipping companies support women seafarers’ mental wellbeing and eradicate gender discrimination and are they doing enough? These were some of the topics that Sophia Onken, Partner and Clinical Psychologist at Mental Health Support Solutions (MHSS), discussed during the ‘Wellbeing For Women In Shipping’ webinar on 14 May.
The event organised by MHSS – which provides professional mental health support and guidance across the maritime sector – explored the challenges facing female crewmembers such as sexual harassment, bullying, gender discrimination and the stresses of life aboard a vessel. It also covered resilience strategies for women in shipping, how to improve their wellbeing and the issues that need addressing to improve their working lives.
“When it comes to seafaring, it seems women are often treated as the underdogs,” said Ms Onken. “Typical reasons for this include being perceived as inferior to men, receiving unequal treatment to their male counterparts and suffering from verbal or physical sexual harassment.”
Ms Onken added that the lack of women in the maritime industry – accounting for just 2% of the workforce – was a major barrier for females at sea. “There is a low ratio of females to males on deck, which could partly explain why their issues aren’t addressed at work,” she said. “For this reason, more female employment in shipping should be encouraged.”
While seafaring is a prime cause of stress-related suicide among men, studies show that mental health issues are also a concern for their female counterparts. “Some women experience work-related stress and physical concerns when aboard a ship, which can lead to suicide attempts,” said Christian Ayerst, CEO of MHSS.
Research in recent years highlights some of the issues that women seafarers face when at work. According to a survey on women seafarers’ health and welfare, 18% of the 595 women crewmembers who responded said they had been sexually harassed while on board.
“The study clearly shows the need to raise awareness because many women experience unfair treatment at work,” Ms Onken said. “One example is not having access to sanitary bins or female-specific products.”
The main symptoms for women with physical or mental health problems at sea were joint/back pain, stress/depression/anxiety and headaches, with 55% attributing these issues to their work.
A separate study on women working at sea for Greek-owned shipping companies found that men saw their female counterparts as equals when it came to career success. However, only a minority of men felt that women could perform as well as male crewmembers. The ‘Employment of women at sea’ report also revealed that most men were unwilling to accept a woman as their superior in the ship’s hierarchy or as port captains ashore.
Latest News
ClassNK releases ‘Prime Shipmanagement Guidelines’
(Posted on 01/05/25)ClassNK has released ‘Prime Shipmanagement Guidelines’ which aim to achieve sustainable... Read more
MCTC ensures quality remains at top of the table amid global tensions
(Posted on 30/04/25)In the face of unpredictable provisioning costs, port disruptions, and longer lead times MCTC has reinforced... Read more
NORDEN raises full-year guidance for 2025
(Posted on 28/04/25)On the back of the increased gains from sales of vessels and good operational performance, NORDEN, a... Read more
INTERCARGO welcomes ILO recognition of seafarers as key workers
(Posted on 28/04/25)The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) has welcomed the recent decision... Read more
MMS advises why seafarers must remain vigilant about malaria
(Posted on 25/04/25)Despite its lack of publicity, malaria remains an ongoing epidemic and a perilous threat to seafarers... Read more
Veson: Bulker S&P activity falls sharply in Q1 2025
(Posted on 22/04/25)Due to market uncertainty, overall sale and purchase levels for Bulkers have fallen year on year, with... Read more
Britannia Group announces CEO succession plan
(Posted on 22/04/25)The Britannia Group, a leading P&I insurer, has announced that its Chief Executive, Andrew Cutler... Read more
INTERCARGO responds to IMO's decision on GHG reduction measures
(Posted on 15/04/25)At last week's landmark MEPC 83 meeting, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States... Read more
NORDEN sells two additional vessels
(Posted on 15/04/25)In line with NORDEN’s strategy to realise asset values, the global provider of ocean-based freight... Read more
ILO delivers on Seafarers Key Worker Rights and fair treatment
(Posted on 15/04/25)The fifth meeting of the Special Tripartite Committee (STC) of the MLC concluded last week with some... Read more
