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Article reproduced with permission
Photo: Researcher Momoko Kitada says reluctant shipowners are denying onboard training opportunities to women seafarers.
If shipping is to increase the number of female seafarers, a change of mindset is needed as well as the right conditions
From football to space science, women’s achievements in professions that have long been regarded as male- only domains are winning greater global recognition year after year. Merchant seafaring may, in time, prove to be no exception. Recent research suggests that increasing numbers of female seafarers are opting to enter the world of cargo shipping.
However, the growth appears to be offset by entrenched gender-based obstacles that are stopping women from getting into the industry or succeed in their careers once in.