Women in Maritime — Challenges, Progress & Careers

The headline figure is stark. According to the International Labour Organization's most recent global assessment, women account for approximately 1.2% of the world's seafarer workforce — roughly 24,000 of an estimated 1.9 million seafarers. In an era where gender parity is a stated goal across virtually every industry, maritime remains one of the most persistently male-dominated professions on the planet.

Understanding why that is, what is being done about it, and what career opportunities genuinely exist for women in maritime requires an honest look at the data — and at the structural barriers that statistics alone cannot fully capture.

The Data — Sector by Sector

The 1.2% figure masks significant variation across sectors and roles:

• Deep-sea merchant navy (deck/engineering officers): Approximately 2–3% women, improving slowly
• Cruise ships: Women account for around 20–25% of total shipboard workforce when hotel and guest services departments are included, but remain underrepresented in deck and engineering (<5%)
• Superyachts: Around 20–30% of crew overall; chief stewardess and interior department roles are predominantly female; deck officer and engineering roles are slowly diversifying
• Offshore oil and gas: Female offshore workers remain rare — approximately 2–4% — though shore-based offshore roles have higher representation
• Shore-based maritime (port operations, chartering, insurance, law): Significantly better — women hold around 30–40% of roles in maritime commercial and professional services sectors

Data sources: IMO Women in Maritime Programme, BIMCO/ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2021.

Barriers — What the Statistics Do Not Show

Numbers describe outcomes, not causes. The barriers experienced by women pursuing maritime careers are varied, structural, and often invisible to those who have not encountered them:

1. Accommodation and Welfare Infrastructure

Many vessel designs predate the expectation of mixed-gender crews. Shared bathroom facilities, a lack of private gyms or medical spaces, and inadequate provision for women's health needs (including access to healthcare during voyages) remain genuine deterrents on some fleet types. Progress is being made — WISTA International has published infrastructure guidance for operators — but implementation is uneven.

2. Harassment and Isolation

Research by Seafarers UK and the ITF has documented harassment as a significant issue in maritime, with women seafarers reporting incidents at rates disproportionate to their numbers. The isolated nature of ship life — limited communication, authority structures, and limited recourse when far from port — can make reporting difficult. Operators with strong welfare cultures and clear reporting mechanisms represent a meaningful differentiator for career-planning purposes.

3. Recruitment Pipeline

If girls are not seeing women in maritime, they do not consider it as a career. Maritime engagement in schools remains primarily oriented toward male students despite initiatives like MNTB's Make Waves programme and the Maritime Skills Commission's outreach work. The pipeline problem is generational.

Progress — What Is Actually Changing

The picture is not static, and several developments are genuinely significant:

• IMO Women in Maritime Programme: Since 1988, the IMO has run a targeted programme of training, scholarship, and advocacy for women in maritime, with over 7,000 women trained. Scholarships are available through imo.org
• WISTA International: Women's International Shipping and Trading Association (wista.net) has 50+ national chapters and provides networking, mentoring, and advocacy for women in shipping across sea and shore roles
• Merchant Navy Training Board: Increasing cadetship uptake by women — approximately 18–22% of UK deck cadet entrants in recent cohorts are women, up from under 5% a decade ago
• Prominent sea-going figures: Katy Doogan, the first female deck cadet to command a tanker in her company's history; Capt. Sarah Lewis (P&O Ferries); Capt. Belinda Bennett (Royal Caribbean) — visible role models who demonstrate command at the highest level is achievable

Support Organisations

For women considering or already pursuing maritime careers, the following organisations provide meaningful support:

• WISTA International / WISTA UK — Professional network, mentoring, events, and advocacy
• Seafarers UK — Welfare and hardship funding available to all seafarers
• Nautilus International — The maritime union provides advice on discrimination, harassment, and employment rights for all members
• Mission to Seafarers — Welfare support in over 200 ports globally
• ISWAN — SeafarerHelp 24/7 helpline (+800 ISWAN HELP): free, confidential multilingual support for any seafarer worldwide

Careers in Maritime — A Practical Note for Women

The honest advice: the barriers are real, the representation numbers are low, but the opportunities available to women who do enter the industry are substantial — particularly in an environment where operators are increasingly competing to retain qualified crew. Companies that have invested in welfare infrastructure, mixed-gender crew policies, and progressive HR practices tend to be the better employers for everyone, and they are not hard to identify with the right questions during the application process.

Crew Connect's matching system and company profiles can help you identify operators whose crew welfare standards and retention patterns reflect genuine commitment rather than brochure language. Certification records, sea service, and professional reputation travel on merit — build them carefully and they will work for you regardless of who challenges your presence.