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Working life: No longer watching the ships go by

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Page context: Home > Transport International Magazine > Issue 21 October 2005 > Working life

Natalia Prosdocimi, Argentina's first woman captain to be appointed, tells Ana Beatriz Duarte how she became a pioneer in her country.

When Natalia Prosdocimi was a little girl, she used to ask her father to take her to the port of Buenos Aires to watch the ships. When she was 17, a friend took her onboard. It was 1992, and she was about to finish high school. She decided then what she would do in life: she wanted to be a seafarer.

At that time, the Argentinean naval schools still didn’t accept women as students. However, inquiring at the Centre for Merchant Navy Overseas Captains and Officers, Natalia learned that new legislation would soon allow women to join the industry.

“To a large extent, we have to thank trade unions for this law, which gave women the right to graduate as deck or engine officers,” says Natália. In 1994, when she was finally able to join the naval school, she was the only woman in her class. Ten years later, in September 2004, Natalia graduated from first mate to become the first woman captain appointee in Argentina. She is continuing to work as first mate for the time being but has been guaranteed the captain’s post by her employer, Shell, who is expecting a vacancy to arise in the very near future.

In the meantime, women’s interest in the profession has been growing exponentially. This year, according to Natalia, the level of demand hit a new record when 50 per cent of places were taken by women.

Months away from home

The disruption to personal and domestic life could be a major reason why there are not more women officials at sea. Indeed in command positions, the percentage is negligible: “Some reach a good position, but once they are married they abandon the job, before they become captains,” Natalia explains.

In fact, the International Maritime Organisation estimates that only two per cent of all maritime workers in the world are women, most of them belonging to the cruise and ferries sectors. On the other hand, in the trade unions, the membership level among women seafarers has been increasing. ITF-affiliated unions now have more than 23,000 women in their ranks. Natalia, of course, is one of them.

As an active member, she emphasises that it is even more important for women to be unionised in order to help them confront discrimination. Looking back she remembers the first signs of inequality beginning at naval school.

“Some teachers made me work much harder than my men colleagues,” she says. “When I began to work, I also experienced discrimination from some higher officials. Women need to make a double effort in order to be accepted. They are always being tested, and they work under greater pressure. These realities stop them taking on this career and may discourage them from staying in it.”

However Natalia is fortunate to enjoy a friendly and cooperative atmosphere in her own workplace, and received strong support from her colleagues when she decided to take the exams to become a captain.

“Ultimately gaining respect depends on the behaviour the man or the woman adopt when in a leadership position, and their ability to retain a human touch.”

Triumph of solidarity

In 2000, in the midst of a dispute over wages, which could have turned into a strike, Natalia got to know the ITF and also to understand the meaning of international solidarity. She believes that the strength resulting from this solidarity, combined with the work of the local union, brought about a milestone development in the national industry last year: a decree that forbids Argentinean ships to use flags of convenience.

“After that decree, we began to get one month of rest for every two months of work. Beforehand, we would work for three months and were not entitled to pay while disembarked. On the day our ship started to fly the Argentinean flag, we had a great party. We burned the Panamanian and Liberian flags, which the ships had been using up until that moment.”

Inspired to change course

Six years ago, Vanesa Soto, who is now 26 years old, read in the newspaper that there was a ship, anchored at the port of Buenos Aires, that could be visited more>>

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Issue 21 October 2005

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