Promoting Women in the Maritime Sector: Impacts

Introduction

The participation of women in the maritime sector has traditionally been low due to historical, cultural, and social factors. Although the percentage of women making up the maritime workforce has increased in recent years as a result of women's liberation movements and globalization, women are still found to be concentrated in housekeeping and hospitality functions on cruise vessels, as opposed to working in the marine or galley areas. By encouraging more women to enter areas that have traditionally remained male-dominated, a number of positive political and economic changes can be brought about. At the same time, certain social and cultural challenges may need to be addressed.

The Political Aspects of Women in Maritime

Promoting women in the maritime sector can help to reduce the disparity in political power between the genders. Because of the greater demand for physical labor and long periods away from home, women have traditionally made up a small part of the maritime workforce. According to a study conducted by Wu (2005), women make up only 19% of the maritime workforce, whereas men make up 81%. This reflects the traditional identification of femininity as the antithesis of masculinity and is therefore a social construct rather than a biological or innate one (May & Powell, 2008).

By encouraging more women to enter the maritime sector, their political representation can be increased. Through such representation, women can be in a stronger position to initiate changes that facilitate women's employment. One significant challenge for women in the maritime sector is the long periods spent away from home, which places them in a dilemma regarding their domestic responsibilities. Through increased participation in the workforce, women can use their collective power to bring about changes in shift duration, allowing them to better balance familial and professional commitments.

Another traditional limitation that has prevented women from joining the maritime sector in large numbers is the demand for physical strength and labor. Although this remains a necessity in modern times, computerized machinery and technology have made maritime operations increasingly automated and less labor-intensive. Through greater participation, women can lead thinking in areas where the disparity in male-female participation is based more on cultural precedent than on objective factors. Since there are fewer social or cultural taboos today concerning women performing physical labor alongside men, such promotion can help narrow the political power gap between the genders in the maritime sector.

The study by Wu (2005) shows that in the maritime sector, women are largely employed in guest services, where 34% find employment. Similarly, 23% of women in the maritime sector are employed in the cabin department, and another 20% work in the bar and food department. However, women are employed in far fewer numbers in other departments: only 2% work in the marine department, and 4% are found in the galley department. A report by Belcher et al. (2003) reveals that more than half of the world's seafaring women work on ferries, while close to another quarter work on ferry ships. Women also outnumber men in some departments, such as bar and food, cabin, and guest services, where they have greater representation and enjoy more influence. However, these are perceived as support departments, whereas departments where men outnumber women are considered central and crucial to maritime operations. The study also reveals that only 13% of women occupy senior officer positions, with most occupying junior, petty officer, or middle-level positions — although more women seafarers on cruise ships have been assuming senior positions in recent years (Belcher et al., 2003). This puts women in a weaker position relative to men in the maritime sector, as they exercise less strategic power and control over resources.

The political power of women in the maritime sector can be increased by encouraging them to take up senior positions in greater numbers. This would give women the opportunity to exercise control over strategic resources and determine the strategic direction of their organizations. Such control would also provide greater influence over shaping organizational policies and regulations, enabling women to draft policies that facilitate the entry and career growth of other women in the sector. It is also observed that there tend to be fewer senior officer positions in departments where women are present in greater numbers. Hence, along with increasing the number of women in these departments, it would help to institute senior officer positions within them.

Promoting women in the maritime workforce involves paying attention to a number of political factors, such as identifying the departments where women are in the majority and those where they are underrepresented. Balancing political power can promote the development of work policies conducive to more women joining the maritime sector.

The Economic Aspects of Women in Maritime

Increasing the number of women in the maritime sector can result in significant economic benefits to society by strengthening women's economic position. May & Powell (2008) note that traditionally, the concept of a profession has been limited to paid work performed by men outside the household — work that involves physical labor. However, due to the growing influence of feminism and globalization, traditional notions about employment and gender roles have been changing over the past few decades. More and more women are now becoming part of the paid workforce and supporting their families financially.

As noted above, women make up a very small proportion of the maritime workforce while constituting more than half of the global population. Bridging this economic disparity is therefore a pressing concern. Brown & Brown (2007) have shown that among the foremost reasons for choosing a career in the maritime industry is the attraction of high salaries that are exempt from tax in some countries, including the United Kingdom. However, the maritime sector also suffers from poor promotion and low public awareness. By increasing promotional efforts through recruitment drives and informational campaigns, the economic benefits of a maritime career can be effectively communicated to women.

Increasing the number of women in the maritime sector would also help to reduce the negative effects of economic crises. According to a report published by the ITF (2011), the effects of economic downturns are experienced far more severely by women than by men, because women in both developed and developing countries are typically employed in labor-intensive, unskilled, or semi-skilled jobs. It was estimated that by 2009, around 22 million jobs held by women would be lost to the economic crisis, with most of those women located in less-developed countries. These are, notably, the very countries that serve as the biggest sources of human resources for maritime companies due to their low labor costs. By encouraging women to seek employment in the maritime sector, their economic conditions can be improved.

The ITF (2011) report also stresses the importance of developing human capital across genders and making targeted efforts to increase women's employable skills. The report notes that children in families where the woman is the primary breadwinner are generally healthier and enjoy greater economic security. Given the prolonged duration of the global economic crisis, the manufacturing sector has suffered the greatest setbacks, leaving the maritime sector comparatively less affected, as demand for raw materials and consumer goods in developing markets such as India and China has continued to support growth and stability in the industry. To support the global economy during periods of crisis, it is therefore important for the shipping and maritime sector to step up and provide employment opportunities to vulnerable segments of the population, including women.

The ITF (2011) report further notes that women in the transport sector have little influence over policy matters, depriving the sector of valuable input from women in leadership positions. The shipping and maritime sector faces a unique set of challenges, most notably the negative public perception stemming from high-profile incidents of sea pollution, and more recently, the rise of piracy in the Arabian Sea, which has increased industry costs as many ships have rerouted from the Suez Canal to the longer Cape of Good Hope route. It can be expected that with greater participation of women in the workforce and in leadership positions, effective policies to address these issues can be developed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the maritime sector holds great promise for elevating the social status of women by providing them with an attractive source of economic empowerment. The sector can play a meaningful role in closing the gender gap in political representation and economic participation, particularly during periods of global economic hardship. At the same time, the maritime sector must exercise care when developing strategies to attract women into the workforce, because the social norms and cultural values of particular communities can act as significant barriers to women's entry and advancement. A gradual, culturally sensitive approach that balances the economic and political benefits with the realities of social and cultural change will be essential to achieving sustainable progress.