Championing diversity

By Peter Strachan

Jillian Carson-Jackson has spent more than 30 years pioneering significant change in the global maritime scene, championing diversity and the widespread benefits of attracting more women to the industry.

Her experience onshore and afloat in Australia and overseas has convinced her that maritime has much to offer as a career and should be promoted more among career advisers and others guiding young people in their choice of employment.

‘It provides wonderful career opportunities, but it does not get the attention I believe it should, compared with many other industries,’ Jillian said.

‘The industry gets even less promotion to women than it does to men, but this is changing and we need to ensure this trend continues.’

When Jillian started her career with the Canadian Coast Guard as a navigation officer cadet and graduate of the Canadian Coast Guard College, she was something of a rarity afloat.

‘There are more of us now and the future is looking considerably brighter as the industry comes to realise what having men and women more equally represented brings to virtually every aspect of what we do,’ Jillian said.

‘Diversity, including gender diversity, strengthens the decision-making process because we have different strengths,’ she said.

‘Embracing diversity results in greater safety on board and quality of life for all of us. It benefits marine operators, VTS personnel, ships crews and those we serve both afloat and ashore, around the world.’

Jillian has no hesitation in recommending maritime careers to women, but stresses the need to ensure the opportunities continue to develop for them.

We have to better promote the industry to women who may not even be aware of the industry as a career option.

'We must make sure we have in place an environment that makes it more likely to attract, and retain, women,’ she said.

There is also a need to support women, and men, through career transitions, including the transition from sea to shore, to maximise benefits not only for them, but also the wider industry.

‘There is plenty of room to increase the number of women in maritime and we must not lose this opportunity as an industry. The benefits of diversity are proven to pay great dividends, which more than justify the effort.’

Jillian’s experience includes time spent with AMSA, working in vessel tracking and management of coastal pilots. Currently, as the Vice President of the Nautical Institute, Jillian’s working knowledge of the industry positions her perfectly to advocate for gender diversity, including the WiM 365 challenge, to post a #womaninmaritime profile on Facebook and Instagram each day in 2019.