Maritime Needs More Women Power
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Sunday, June 26, 2016
United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary- General Ki Tack Lim pushed for the increased involvement of women in the seafaring industry saying they are the key to the growth of the industry.
Shipping has historically been a male-dominated industry and that tradition runs long and deep. The maritime industry needs more women, particularly in leadership roles.
The Standard quoted Ki Tack Lim saying women power as “untapped sector.” He said that the seafaring industry should work towards attracting more women since they have proven to be as equally competent as their male counterparts.
“The importance of women as a huge source of safer sea voyage human resources cannot be overstressed. The shipping world cannot afford to ignore such rich and still largely untapped source of quality recruit,” Lim said.
The Philippines is the world’s capital source of seafarers with some 367,000 Filipino seafarers deployed all over the world but women make up only 2 percent of the world’s maritime workforce of 1.3 million.
Lim urged Filipino women to join the industry since they have proven to be as equally competent as their male counterparts.