How women are redefining maritime landscape

Despite the progress made, women in the industry continue to face significant barriers. Gender-based discrimination, unequal pay, and a lack of family-friendly policies remain persistent challenges. These barriers not only hinder women’s professional advancement but also contribute to a lack of job satisfaction and high turnover rates.

One of the most significant challenges women face in the maritime sector is gender-based discrimination. These challenges often create an environment that is hostile to women, discouraging many from pursuing long-term careers in the sector.

Women working in the maritime industry, particularly in offshore shipping or at sea, also face concerns about harassment and safety. The International Maritime Organisation has published reports outlining the prevalence of harassment aboard ships, noting that women in the maritime workforce are particularly vulnerable to such behaviours. Nigeria has taken steps to address these issues by introducing anti-harassment policies in the workplace, but more efforts are needed to ensure that women feel safe and respected in the industry.

The Director-General of the African Centre for Supply Chain and President of the Association of Outsourcing Professionals, Dr. Obiora Madu, believes that the challenges women are facing cut across the whole logistics chain.

“You see, the thing is, the third challenge is not only maritime; it is in the whole supply chain. So, the involvement of women in the supply chain is not as much as it should be. First of all, it was regarded as a male job. Then, initially also, because it is regarded as a male job, women were looking at other professions and not that very direction. So obviously there has to be a gap. So, it will take a while for women to catch up,” Madu said.

The demanding nature of maritime work, particularly for those working on ships or in remote areas, presents significant challenges for women with families. Long hours, extended time away from home, and a lack of childcare facilities make it difficult for women to balance their careers with family responsibilities. This issue has led to many women leaving the industry prematurely, as they struggle to reconcile their professional and personal lives.

Experts speak

The Nigerian government and maritime institutions must continue to introduce and enforce gender-inclusive policies. These policies should address issues such as discrimination, harassment, and the need for family-friendly practices. Establishing clear guidelines for equal pay and career advancement opportunities is crucial for creating a more equitable workplace.

Madu explained the percentage of women involved in the top procurement cadre, “I am talking globally, is about 12 per cent. But I am happy with what is happening, like the first set of students that are entering for BSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Kandahar State University and Lagos State University is more women.”

According to him, with this move, people will now know that it is not a male job.

“It is becoming an area of interest to everybody, including women. So, it means that over some time, that gap is going to close,” he opined.

The President of the Nigerian Branch of the Women in Maritime of West and Central Africa, Mrs. Oritsematosan Edodo-Emore, stated that women are under-respected in the value chain of the maritime industry.

“According to information dissipated by the International Maritime Organisation, only 2 per cent of seafarers in the world are women. So generally, in the value chain of the maritime industry, women are under-represented. This naturally comes with challenges mainly because the industry has been male-dominated since inception,” she said.

Edodo-Emore, who is also the chairman of Zoe Maritime Resources Ltd., mentioned that the problems women face in the nation’s maritime industry are both traditional and systemic.

“Only men went to sea. Even earlier ships were not built to have cabins for women. Well, there were no women on board. Today the challenges that women face in the maritime industry are both traditional and systemic. Traditional in the sense that women who go to sea, as soon as they get married, family pressure compels them to discontinue the career at sea,” she said.

The project coordinator of the African Maritime Arts Exhibition, Mrs. Ezinne Azunna, admitted that though women are gradually gaining ground in the sector, it comes with extra work.

“The sector is dominated by men; in recent times the IMO called for more inclusion, visibility, and all that, so the women are beginning to get more roles and all of that. Now it is not coming easily and cheaply; women have to prove their worth and sometimes do it better than their male counterparts. Because certain jobs in the industry have been traditionally stereotyped for the men because the men have the energy and all that,” she said.

“The thing is that we are gradually gaining ground as women, but one of the things that happen is the massive quest for knowledge by women in the industry. I think women have understood that to get these roles, to get visible and get to the place you want to be, especially when you have been stereotyped, then you have to get a whole lot of knowledge,” she said.

“Maritime industry is driven by knowledge technology and all that, and you know these things are you can’t fail once you have them. So, women are beginning to realise this, and we are having many more women who are going for international training, workshops, and all that just to ensure that they are at par with their contemporaries, whether local or international,” Azunna said.

She said there is no clear-cut policy that mandates parastatals to ensure the presence of a reasonable number of women in their workplace.

“So, the challenges remain that there is no clear-cut policy that states that parastatals should ensure the presence of, say, 25 or 50 per cent of their workforce are women. But we can excuse that for now because it might just be that these people think that we don’t have as much capacity as they have. But I think that the industry and government have to come up with a policy that ensures women’s inclusion.

Conclusion:

While significant challenges remain, the role of women in Nigeria’s maritime industry has evolved dramatically in recent years. Through education, advocacy, and policy changes, more women are entering the industry, breaking down barriers, and contributing to the sector’s growth and development. As more women assume leadership positions, drive innovation, and inspire future generations, the industry stands poised to become a more inclusive and sustainable force in the global economy. The journey is far from over, but the progress made thus far is a clear indication that the future for women in Nigeria’s maritime industry is bright.

Edodo-Emore opined that women need to be supported to actualise their ambitions at sea; this means building support systems and sensitising the community to understand that women can go to sea and still be wives and mothers.

“The systemic challenges show that not enough women are in management or decision-making positions in the maritime industry. The government has to be intentional in solving this problem. NIMASA is currently leading the way with its recent promotion of women into management positions in the parastatal,” she said.

“The IMO is also addressing this issue by establishing Women in Maritime Associations in different regions of the world, the 8th and latest being the Women in Maritime of West and Central Africa. WIMOWCA aims to encourage gender diversity, acceleration of women in decision-making positions in the maritime industry, and capacity building, among other things. It is actually in Nigeria’s best interest to invest in the development of women in the maritime industry. The contribution of women will increase employment, raise the GDP, and stabilise families,” she concluded.