Women in shipping have come a long way. They navigate or command ships. They help draw up national maritime regulations. Many are in the top echelon of shipping corporations. But how far have women really gone in an industry that has been dominated by men for centuries? Yesterday, we got an inkling from a press release issued on behalf of the World Shipping Council (WSC), whose members operate some 90% of global liner ship capacity.
The news bulletin announced the election of six executives to the WSC Board of Directors. All happen to be men: Mr Randy Chen, Wan Hai Lines; Mr Morten Engelstoft, Maersk Line; Mr Ottmar Gast, Hamburg Süd; Mr Ulrich Kranich, Hapag-Lloyd AG; Mr Andy Tung, Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL); and Mr Xu Minjie, COSCO Container Lines. The other five current WSC Board members are also male, including Mr Ron Widdows of Rickmers-Linie, who continues to serve as WSC Board Chairman.
It’s the same story with BIMCO (Baltic and International Maritime Council). The largest of the international shipping associations is led by Mr John S Denholm, President and Chairman of the Board. Its Executive Committee and Board of Directors are composed of men with the exception of Ms Sadan Kaptanoglu, one of BIMCO’s two vice-presidents.
Men also rule over the International Chamber of Shipping and International Shipping Federation (ICS-ISF), whose chairman and secretary general are both male. The group does have a woman as vice-chairman (the very first) – Karin Orsel. There’s also a sprinkling of women executives. Amongst them: Mrs Susan Gray, Director Finance and Administration; Ms Linda Howlett, Director Legal Affairs; and Ms Kiran Khosla, Director Legal Affairs. But strictly speaking, it’s still the men who run the show.
Over at INTERTANKO (International Association of Independent Tanker Owners), Ms Katharina Stanzel holds the post of Managing Director. But she’s a rose amongst many thorns. Her three colleagues on the Management Committee are all men, including the chairman, Captain Graham Westgarth. The 14-member Executive Committee, also chaired by Mr Westgarth, is an all-male affair.
And what about the International Maritime Organization? IMO Secretary General Koji Sekimizu is male. So were all six of his predecessors. The plain truth is that maritime women still have a long way to go. In the global arena where decisions are made that affect international shipping, women remain by and large outside the circles of power. ~Barista Uno
POSTCRIPT: Ms Hanne Sørensen, Maersk Tankers CEO, was elected chairperson of ITOPF (The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation) on 26th September 2013. She succeeds Bjorn Moller who had been the Federation’s chairman since December 2006.
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Ref your article on maritime women, I’m sharing an article in the Philippine Star last Sept 29:
Women in maritime
As part of its continuing efforts to work for the interests of Filipino seafarers, Angkla Partylist filed last Sept. 20 House Resolution No. 314 urging the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to aid in advancing the global seafaring careers of undervalued Filipino women mariners.
Spearheaded by Angkla Partylist Rep. Jesulito Manalo, the resolution highlights the strengths in both character and skill that women in maritime possess, but are most often overlooked in the male-dominated industry in which they operate. Angkla has appealed to various government and maritime stakeholders to create the policies and programs that will increase opportunities for women who dare to dream of sailing the world’s oceans.
Read more here: http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/09/29/1239311/coas-unenviable-task
Now at the cost of being called a male chauvinist, let me add that during the olden days, women on board the ship were considered as bad luck for the seamen. They usually avoided bringing women on voyages. Secondly, they are a distraction while serving on board the vessel because she is among seamen who are on voyages for many days. A seaman’s life is hard, and dangerous. Those who have gone to sea know this very well. Women should not be given such dangerous jobs, besides there are no dearth of men to handle this job.
Even for shore jobs, the senior posts in Shipping Industry is better handled by men who have sailed on vessels as Masters or Chief Engineers. Only those who have working experience at sea should be taken as directors, or senior executives, or as Director General of Shipping, a very senior government post in Shipping. The idea that women are equal to men is a fallacy that is proved many times over. They are different than men in temperament, emotions, way of thinking, physical strength, and are more suited for other jobs which are not demanding.