Sexual harassment and intimidation were identified as areas of major concern for female seafarers in the latest Mission to Seafarers women seafarers report.
“It goes without saying that all vessels should be safe places for women to work. Sexual harassment or intimidation can take place in all kinds of ways, ranging from what might be perceived as harmless banter or inappropriate remarks, to threats, physical violence, and rape,” the report points out.
“Any kind of sexual harassment is unacceptable. Women cope with sexual harassment in a number of different ways. Often, on-board vessels, they may withdraw from social situations, perhaps choosing to avoid going to parties and general onboard social events, or if they do attend, they may choose to leave such occasions early. Some women resort to locking themselves in their cabins for security at night and others may take drastic means to avoid being harassed, by altering and defeminising their appearance.”
The issue was brought into sharp focus at the end of last year when a rape allegation was posted online by a 19-year-old member of the US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA).
She said she had been raped by a 60+ year-old 1st engineer aboard a Maersk ship during sea year and knew of several other students who had also been raped during sea year.
The report stresses that all shipping companies and agencies need to find effective ways to address sexual harassment.
“One way forward is for shipping companies and agencies to have robust anti-harassment policies and to be supportive when incidents are brought to their attention. Refraining from harassment and bullying, and the need to observe respect and dignity towards colleagues, can actually be written into employment contracts for seafarers,” the report suggests.
Research shows that some shipping companies have anti-harassment policies, and such policies appear to be most effective where efforts have been made to provide company training and courses about this.
Women may be very conscious of the impact their senior officers can have on their shipboard lives and indeed on their entire seafaring careers – and it is in such environments that junior personnel in any organisation are most vulnerable to sexual harassment and exploitation.
“The #metoo movement shows us this powerlessness is experienced by women in other workplaces and not just in the maritime industry. The situation for women seafarers is particularly difficult because they can’t easily leave their ships once they are at sea.” The report has found that formal complaints about sexual harassment are mostly made by women when they believe in the commitment of their employers to eliminate sexual harassment and/or where they have a witness who is willing to support their testimony. “When complaints about sexual harassment are addressed effectively, women appear to be more confident of both their right to complain and the likelihood that the complaint will be taken seriously.”
With one in eight merchant mariners now women, it’s an issue that must be addressed sooner rather than later.
