The “International Day for Women in Maritime” has been celebrated since 2022. To mark the occasion, MacGregor and WISTA Germany invited women to the International Maritime Museum in Hamburg.
The theme of this year’s International Maritime Women’s Day was: “From Strategy to Impact: Empowering Women Shapes the Maritime World. Experts from the maritime industry were invited to discuss how to get more women interested in the shipping industry.
Lucie Addicks, Executive Vice President Offshore Solutions at MacGregor, Claudia Neben, Germany’s first female submarine commander, Gaby Bornheim, President of the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) and Managing Director of Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG, and Christian Oetjen, Chairman of the Shipowners’ and Brokers’ Club, took part in the discussion.
Ploß: “We cannot afford to ignore talent”
The panel discussion began with a video message from the German government’s maritime coordinator, Christoph Ploß. Women are still underrepresented in the maritime industry, said Ploß. Women must be given stronger and more visible positions. However, it is not just a question of gender equality, but rather diversity is a strategic advantage that determines how competitive we will be in the future.
In today’s uncertain times, we cannot afford to ignore talent, regardless of gender. We need reliable tools to keep skilled workers in the industry. The key to this is “cultural change”, which is on the agenda today.
This means better conditions on board, new management structures and fresh thinking in management positions. Modern leadership should be less top-down and more based on responsibility, openness and diversity. A culture that attracts talent instead of losing it to outdated ways of thinking.
Time to act
When asked what needs to happen to get more young women interested in the maritime industry, Ploß had three answers. Firstly, clear framework conditions are needed. Clear paths that show career opportunities. Secondly, role models are needed. Women who have proven that success is possible at every level. The third point Ploß mentioned was flexible working conditions so that women can better reconcile career and family.
It is time to move from writing down strategies to taking action. With a view to International Maritime Women’s Day, Ploß is looking forward to concrete measures that will follow. “Together, we could empower women, strengthen our industry and set a course for a more inclusive and competitive future,” said Ploß.
Visibility of the industry must be increased
The subsequent panel discussion showed that positive role models already exist, but also made it clear that there is still a lot to be done. In addition to better framework and working conditions, the panellists agreed that the industry as a whole must become more visible.
For example, Gaby Bornheim reported that the job centers that advise young people looking for training often do not have the maritime industry on their radar. This is why the VDR launched an initiative following the NMK 2023 in Bremen to train employment agencies and inform them about the various job profiles in the maritime industry.
Christian Oetjen also called for more visibility. In the past, young people traditionally entered the maritime industry through their family environment. In the past, young people traditionally entered the maritime industry through their family environment. Today, this is far less common. Events such as Girls’ Day or initiatives organised by the Maritime Cluster Northern Germany, including “Kurs Zukunft” and “Zukunft entern”, therefore play an important role in showing young people that the maritime industry is “the place to be”.
Greater visibility is one step, another is to join forces in order to initiate change together as an industry, according to the panel participants. We need to work together – regardless of gender – to leverage all potential in the maritime industry.
International Day for Women in Maritime
The International Day for Women in Maritime was launched by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to make the role of women in the maritime industry more visible and to promote their greater participation in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
The day of action was officially adopted by the IMO member states in 2021 and is celebrated every year on May 18. The aim is to recognize the achievements of women in shipping, promote equal opportunities and attract more women to maritime professions.
