What can the 98% do? Yrhen Bernard Sabanal Balinis MRIN, AMNI, AMIMarEST
Congratulations to the 1.28% of female seafarers on board ships! You are all shaking the boat and becoming trailblazing inspiration for many! But more than celebration, are we not supposed to be alarmed? Is it a cause for festivity that the seafaring profession is struggling to attract women workforce —and retain them— because of several factors including the archaic stereotype of it being a maledominated profession? According to the data from the 2021 Seafarer Workforce Report jointly published by the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), there is an estimated 1.28% STCW-certified female seafarers in the global seafarer workforce. This month, we celebrate the first International Day for Women in Maritime. But with much change in the maritime industry happening and anticipated to come, where do diversity and inclusion sit? Captain Joanne Rawley details her experience in a Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) case study, "We are ALL someone's Daughter. We chose to be Seafarers.” She said, “Recipients of long-term negative attention are more likely to withdraw and internalize the criticism – believe that they are at fault or deserving of the abuse and are more susceptible to developing depression and anxiety. From a Chief Officer and QHSE
perspective, the concerns are that the team then becomes fractured –the crew is more distracted than usual (a Harvard study estimated that 47% of every hour is spent in mind-wandering), safety and situational awareness are no longer a priority and critical jobs may not be completed fully. If an individual does not feel comfortable in their working environment, they are less likely to draw attention to a problem or to ask for help – this increases the risk of accidents and injuries.” “This career is not for everyone. One could argue that, if you want the career badly enough, you’ll push through the barriers and prove yourself capable. I don’t dispute this mindset and approach but, for the sake of team cohesion, safety, and undisputed entitlement of human rights for all, gender
Pg 32 - May 2022 www.MaritimeSheEO.com
