While there have been some positive developments, the 2024 IMO/WISTA Women in Maritime Survey indicates that opportunities for women within the maritime industry continue to be limited, reports Lloyd’s List.
Concerning Trends
President Elpi Petraki expressed her disappointment with the results of the 2024 Women in Maritime Survey, which the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA International) co-publishes with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), admitting she had “hoping for much better results.”
While the 2024 edition of the survey, a follow-up to the 2021 survey, initially appears to show progress in gender diversity within the shipping industry with the number of women working in maritime across both private and public sectors increasing by 14% to 176,820 from 151,979 in 2021, a closer look reveals a concerning trend.
Crucially, because the global maritime workforce has grown significantly since the last survey, the proportion of women in the sampled workforce has actually decreased. Women now account for just under 19% of the workforce, a drop from the 26% recorded in 2021.
The situation is even more pronounced in the private sector, where female employees now constitute just over 16% of the workforce, a decrease from the 29% reported in 2021. A decline was also observed in female representation in mid-management positions, falling to only 20% in 2024 from 39% in 2021.
Adding to the concern is the low representation of younger women in maritime administrations. Despite this age group (18-24) forming the second largest segment of the female workforce, only Argentina reported having a staff member in this range. Proctor described this as “concerning” and potentially indicative of “systemic issues in recruiting young women into the maritime arm of national governments.”
Petraki acknowledged some positive developments in specific sectors such as advertising, recruitment, and ship brokerage, which saw increases in female participation. However, she emphasized that the overall data reveals “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,” leading to her disappointment with what she described as a step backwards in some areas.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez echoed this sentiment, admitting that there is still “some way to go” in achieving gender equality within the maritime sector.
Importance Of Women’s Participation
Elpi Petraki expressed her ongoing frustration at having to repeatedly justify the importance of greater female participation in the shipping industry to her male counterparts. She lamented that the industry seems to be regressing to the conditions prevalent 50 years ago when WISTA was founded, where the suitability of women for various roles, from working on vessels to holding positions on boards and in leadership, still needs constant explanation. She questioned why this understanding has not yet become widespread.
The Women in Maritime Survey report itself emphasizes that the findings “underscore a critical juncture for the industry.” While acknowledging some progress, it stresses that the “persistent disparities highlight the urgent need to move beyond dialogue to decisive implementation.”
Proctor warned of the risk of the gender gap widening if significant changes are not made promptly. However, she expressed confidence that there is “enough momentum to take this forward if we’re got the right people leading the change.”
Petraki offered a more forceful assessment, stating, “It’s about time we take responsibility and we do more than talk and have some actions.”
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Source: Lloyd’s List
