Page 22 - GEIMS Chronicle 22nd Edition-July 2022

Student Corner The maritime industry has always been viewed as a place for ship captain. She worked aboard

WOMEN IN MARITIME INDUSTRY
Windstar Cruises for over 14 years
- Cdt Yasmin Pattan
through the Caribbean in winter
and Europe in summer. She
received the United Kingdom's
most prestigious Merchant Navy
men and many people even to this day think it has no place
Medal for Meritorious Services.
for women in any way possible. But with the world fast-
In 2017, the International Women
changing, industries have become more inclusive. The
Seafarer's Foundation (IWSF) was
lingering stigma about working at sea gives rise image of
the bulky overly sunned man. But that is not the case
women seafarers but also to
anymore, the integration of women in the industry is
create employment for women. A
happening faster. With a very needed development, it is
few women from the Indian
clear that jobs are never gender-biased and all it takes is founded to not only help young
strength and determination to be the best in any profession Merchant Navy Industry, Captain
despite any gender. Radhika Menon, India's rst
female Captain, received the
There are many who fear the unknown and the marine
exceptional Bravery at Sea Award
industry is such; with very few women in the industry, there
is a lack of information and motivation for young girls to by IMO. Poonam Devangan,
come forward. There is a constant fear of judgment and recipient of Varuna Award.
being told as to what a girl can and can't do, which not only Sharvani Mishra, 1st lady engineer to sail on an Indian ag
vessel. Reshma Nilofer Naha is India's 1st woman marine
demotivates them but also creates the stigma of females
being weak. There are indeed times when people try to pilot and one of the elite few women River Pilots in the
make girls feel they are incompetent and weak instead of World. And nally, we have our own Ms Shilpa Nitin
inspiring them to chase their dreams. Women have proven Bhandurge, the 1st Lady examiner at DG shipping, she is an
external examiner for not only ETO COC Exam but also for
countless times that they are capable of doing and
MEO Class IV COC Exam; she has sailed in Jag Pankhi and Jag
achieving a great deal and have also shown everyone that
working at sea can be as rewarding for them as it is for men. Pradeep from GESCO.
In recent years, the number of women working in the
Although women form about 39.3% of the global
workforce, women seafarers constitute only 2% of the total maritime industry has grown but there's still more work to
number of seafarers worldwide, creating the need to bridge be done. Many shipping companies are undertaking active
this gender gap. Lack of encouragement from family friends initiatives to increase the number of women. However, the
mindset should change and if you believe in yourself and
and society, absence of relevant educators and counselling,
have strong determination to pursue your dreams, we can
as well as fear of bullying and sexual harassment are the key
factors impeding women from choosing a marine career. make the impossible possible. Take successful woman
marine engineers and deck officers as an inspiration to
Women in history made leaps into the once male- achieve dreams of sailing on the high seas.
dominated industry for various reasons, such as wartime
duty, support for their families, making a better life, getting
the respect they deserve, paving a path for other women, to Cdt Yasmin Pattan
make a better life for themselves, or even to just nd the GME-53
adventure and thrill with new surroundings.
Entering a new man-oriented industry was never easy for
women, history says women disguised themselves as men TUNGARLI HILL–COMMUNICATION TOWER TREK
to work aboard a sailing vessel, but once discovered their
career would come to an abrupt end. By being aboard the - Cdt Rakshit Mishra
ship with their husband or father, many women would learn
how to operate and navigate a vessel. In some British sailing The news about the trekking expedition sent our pulse
vessels of the 19th century, the captain's daughter or wife racing since we were closeted up on the campus with no
was allowed to work as a stewardess on the ship. In 1974, the shore liberty owing to pandemic restrictions in force. In
rst group of women was admitted to the United States anticipation of the trek, we hardly slept a wink the previous
Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. One of night and woke up pronto at the scheduled time of around
them, Captain Wagner, became the rst woman to earn the 0430 hrs. All of us mustered near the gate at 0530 hrs.
unlimited Master's License. She went ahead to become a The trek was led by our Course-in-Charge Mr Narendra
harbour pilot in San Francisco, shocking enough she Katdare and assisted by the PTI Awdhesh Yadav. After brief
remains the only female harbour pilot even to this day.
instructions from him about the safety precautions to be
Another name in the industry that stands as a strong observed, we set out for the trek in the wee hours of the
motivation is Belinda Bennett, the world's rst black cruise morning.

22 GEIMS CHRONICLE Twenty Second Edition July 2022

INDEX