The European Transport Workers Federation (ETF) and European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) met Tuesday to discuss ways to increase female participation in the shipping industry in Europe.
Currently, females make up only 2 percent of the seafaring workforce available for the EU fleet.
Discussions focused on maritime training and career development for women as well as the recruitment and retention of women in the shipping industry, according to the ECSA.
Other participants included representatives from the European Commission Platform for Change, European Economic and Social Council, U.K. Merchant Navy Training Board and Paris Descartes University. ECSA said the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies also was represented “so we could learn from good practices from other sectors.”
“If we want strong, prosperous and socially sustainable maritime clusters in Europe, gender diversity should be a leading principle as a means to attract and retain new talent in the shipping industry,” said Martin Dorsman, secretary general of the ECSA. “Women role models in senior positions can help to send a message across the industry that women do have a place in this traditionally male-dominated sector.”
Tonka Cupic, maritime transport representative to the ETF Women’s Committee, said, “To attract more women to the industry, we should improve the working conditions for everyone. Reconciliation of work and family life and prevention of harassment are key to not only recruiting but also retaining more women seafarers and enabling them to develop a career in shipping.”