Women in Maritime survey highlights current gender diversity across the sector and sets a benchmark for progress
The IMO and Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA International) have published the results of a wide-ranging survey of maritime gender diversity. The survey addressed:
- Industry – including ship owning companies, maritime associations, port operators; cruise; bunkering; fishing, offshore, towage, and dredging. Here it found that overall, the share of women employees by sub-sector was 29%.
- IMO Member States – covering national maritime authorities, customs, border control, or representatives to the IMO, where it found that women make up around 20% of the workforce.
The survey also asked for the share of how many female seafarers a company employed. At less than 2%, the proportion of women employed as seafarers is small. Within the survey, most female seafarers are employed by the cruise industry.
“The purpose of this survey is not to shame and criticize, but to inspire and give a basis for action.”
– Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, WISTA International President
Benchmarking the current state of the sector is vital to measure results. The Women in Maritime Survey 2021 shines a spotlight on areas in which IMO Member States and the wider maritime industry are performing well – and those where additional attention, resources and encouragement are needed.