The SSA Young Executives Group (YEG) co-organized the “Inspire Inclusion” event on April 2, 2024, in collaboration with the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU). This event aimed to promote inclusivity within the maritime industry and attracted over 60 young professionals. The event featured a panel discussion moderated by Kenneth Lim, Assistant Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), and featured panellists Caroline Yang, President of SSA; Michael Phoon, SSA Executive Director; Chia Shan Ming, Business Development Manager at Austen Maritime Services; Vanessa Xavier, Credit Manager for Peninsula Petroleum; and Fadhiilah Wahab from SMOU.
The event included a roundtable discussion with 20 female participants who shared their experiences and challenges in achieving workplace inclusion. This intimate setting fostered open dialogue, allowing participants to express their views and concerns. Vanessa Xavier noted, “The mini roundtable discussions created a safe space for participants, not just to gripe about challenges at the workplace but also to share positive experiences modelled by some companies that can inspire others.”
A notable segment of the event involved panellists conducting a ‘blind selection’ of suitable candidates from a list of gender anonymous resumes for a maritime technical role, highlighting industry realities and the need for mindset shifts towards embracing diversity. The event underscored the message that achieving progress requires the active participation and commitment of everyone, working together to foster an equitable maritime workplace.
The event is particularly relevant given the findings of the 2021 IMO-WISTA Women in Maritime Survey Report. The report reveals the fragmented nature of gender diversity across the maritime sector. Women constitute only 29% of the overall workforce in the general industry and a mere 20% in national maritime authorities. The disparity is even more pronounced in specific sub-sectors, with women representing just 10% of search and rescue teams but 33% of female diplomats and 30% of training staff. In the crewing workforce, women seafarers make up a scant 2%, predominantly within the cruise sector, while they account for 34% in shipowning companies. An updated 2024 survey is currently underway.
For pictures of the SSA YEG International Women’s Day event click here.
“The mini roundtable discussions created a safe space for participants, not just to gripe about challenges at the workplace but also to share positive experiences modelled by some companies that can inspire others.”
Vanessa Xavier, Credit Manager for Peninsula Petroleum