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Women seafarers demand ITF action
11 April 2005
Forty women working in different seaborne occupations – ranging from a ship’s captain and deck and engine officers, to ratings and cruise ship and ferry seafarers working in hotel and catering grades – met in Rio de Janeiro yesterday.
This impressive gathering of women seafarers, whose participants originated from 15 different countries, called for greater attention to be paid to issues such as job prospects and discrimination, for new guidance on bullying and harassment, and for unions to improve pregnancy and maternity provisions.
The flag of convenience system itself is a barrier to the promotion of gender equality, the participants agreed, adding that increased casualisation, together with the effects of outsourcing to ever cheaper labour markets made the situation worse.
Seafaring unions needed to give women a clear voice, the participants said – and this must go hand-in-hand with organising and activising initiatives aimed at strengthening trade unions. This was particularly important in the cruise sector, they agreed.
According to the IMO, the estimated number of women at sea in the world remains as low as two per cent. However, seafarers’ unions’ female membership is higher, at around six per cent, participants were told. There are over 23,000 women seafarers in the ITF, with much of this figure being accounted for by unions with members in the cruise and ferry sectors, the meeting heard.
Resolving to continue networking and communication between themselves, the participants now expect to continue to play an active role in the ITF as part of the wider ITF women’s network.
“This was a fantastic event – and a group of strong women seafarers and trade unionists. We will harness the energy from this meeting and build policies and education bringing those parts of the shipping community that have yet to see the value of women seafarers out of the dark ages,” said Jacqueline Smith, Norwegian Seafarers’ Union, meeting chair and ITF representative for women seafarers.
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