International Women in Maritime: Statistics, Charities & What's Actually Changed

International Women in Maritime Day — observed on 18 May — was established by the International Maritime Organization in 2021 as part of its broader Women in Maritime Programme. It is a useful moment to assess where the industry actually stands: not just what the aspirational language says, but what the data shows, what the persistent structural barriers are, and which organisations are doing work that genuinely moves the needle.

The Numbers

The most recent global data, from the ILO and BIMCO/ICS Seafarer Workforce Report, shows women account for approximately 1.2% of the global seafarer workforce — roughly 24,000 people of an estimated 1.9 million seafarers at sea. This has improved marginally over the past decade (up from under 1%) but remains strikingly low compared with almost every other industry.

Breaking this down by sector:

• Merchant navy (deck/engineering): Under 3% female officers globally
• Cruise ships (all departments): 20–25% female, though female deck and engineering officers remain under 5%
• Superyachts: Approximately 20–30% female overall; interior department is majority female
• Offshore oil and gas: Under 5% sea-going; better representation in shore-based roles
• Maritime shore-side professions (insurance, law, chartering, port operations): 30–45% female in many subsectors

The IMO Women in Maritime Programme

The IMO has run its Women in Maritime programme since 1988 — one of the longer-standing diversity initiatives in any global industry body. The programme's most significant concrete output has been the IMO Fellowship Programme, which has funded training for over 7,000 women from developing countries in maritime management, technical, and safety roles since its inception.

The IMO also operates the Instruments Implementing Bodies gender equality work through IMO Assembly Resolution A.1119(30), which calls on member states to actively promote the participation of women in maritime at all levels. Implementation is voluntary and uneven. Full programme details at imo.org.

WISTA International

The Women's International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) is the most active global network for women in the maritime industry. With 50+ national chapters, WISTA operates mentoring programmes, industry events, a prominent annual leadership award (WISTA Woman in Shipping Award), and strong advocacy with port states and shipping companies on gender inclusion policies.

WISTA UK hosts regular networking events and professional development workshops accessible to women at all career stages — sea-going and shore-based. Membership is open to both women and men committed to gender diversity in maritime.

Persistent Barriers — What the Statistics Cannot Fully Show

Several barriers to women's participation in maritime remain underreported in industry data:

• Sanitary and health infrastructure: Many older vessels have inadequate provisions for female crew — shared bathrooms, no private medical space, no provision for reproductive health management on extended voyages. The UK Chamber of Shipping and WISTA have published guidance, but implementation is operator-dependent
• Harassment and reporting culture: Research by the ITF and Nautilus International documents that harassment at sea occurs at rates that disproportionately affect female crew, and that isolation at sea makes formal reporting both practically difficult and culturally discouraged on some vessels
• Visibility in training pathways: Girls who do not see women in maritime careers typically do not consider them. Maritime GCSE and A-level curricula, careers fairs, and employer school engagement all remain predominantly male-oriented in presentation

What Is Actually Working

Despite the statistical picture, there are evidence-based developments that represent genuine change:

• UK female cadet intake reached approximately 20% of deck cadet starts in recent years — a significant shift from under 5% in 2010
• Operators including Stena Line, Viking, MSC, and several offshore operators have published explicit gender diversity targets and report against them
• The Maritime Skills Commission has included gender diversity as a central pillar of its 2025–2030 workforce planning report
• MNTB's Make Waves programme specifically targets school-age girls with maritime career information

Support Organisations and Resources

• WISTA International / WISTA UK — Professional network, mentoring, events, advocacy
• IMO Women in Maritime Programme — Scholarship, training, and fellowship resources
• Seafarers UK — Welfare and hardship grants available to all seafarers
• Nautilus International — Equality and diversity support, discrimination advice, welfare for members
• ISWAN SeafarerHelp — 24/7 confidential helpline for all seafarers: +800 ISWAN HELP
• Mission to Seafarers — Welfare centres in 200+ ports globally, open to all crew

Crew Connect is committed to supporting diversity in maritime recruitment. Our platform makes your professional record — qualifications, sea service, experience — the primary basis for matching with opportunities, reducing the invisible filters that can disadvantage underrepresented groups at application stage.