Enhancing the appeal of maritime work, one vessel at a Time: All Aboard Alliance launches Diversity@Sea pilot

The All Aboard Alliance, an initiative of the Global Mari1me Forum, yesterday announced a groundbreaking ini1a1ve, Diversity@Sea, that will see 11 companies pilot a series of test measures to make life at sea more inclusive and attractive to all seafarers.

The 11 participating companies have committed to meeting a series of minimum requirements onboard one pilot vessel within their fleet. These include having a minimum of four women onboard (a high number in an industry with less than 2% women), providing appropriate condi1ons for menstrual needs, providing 24/7 wi-fi for crew members, and ensuring that all seaborne staff have access to inclusive personal protec1ve equipment. The pilot vessels will set sail when these minimum requirements are met, with the first six scheduled to set sail no later than 1 November.

The par1cipa1ng companies are Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, bp, Cargill, Chevron Shipping, Diana Shipping, Dorian LPG, Gaslog, Hafnia, Stena, Synergy, and Swire Shipping. One of the par1cipa1ng vessels is Synergy’s Southern Reverence, which is scheduled to depart Singapore on 30 October helmed by Captain Radhika Menon, the first woman to become a captain in the Indian Merchant Navy.

“We have a lot of companies involved [in the Diversity@Sea ini1a1ve], so this will bring out a lot of change because it sends a very loud message saying the industry is ready to accommodate women,” said Captain Menon. “And it gives a sense of assurance to all the exis1ng and aspiring seafarers that the system is changing.”

The pilot measures will explore different approaches to improving work-life balance for everyone at sea within mari1me shipping.

1. “Today’s launch of the Diversity@Sea pilot is a true testament to the proactive stance taken by the All Aboard Alliance and several member companies in tackling these issues head-on. With 11 companies at the helm, we are laying the founda1on for a mari1me industry that is better equipped to meet the demands of tomorrow,” said Mikael Skov, Co-Chair of the All Aboard Alliance and CEO of Hafnia.

The Diversity@Sea pilot is the result of an ambi1ous collabora1on between All Aboard Alliance member companies that is exploring how to make life at sea more inclusive and attractive to both men and women at sea. In the first part of the Diversity@Sea project, 115 interviews with seafarers helped identify ’15 Key Pain Points for Women at Sea’, which was published earlier this year. Following this, leaders, seafarers, and experts from the involved companies worked together to codesign concrete measures to address these pain points.

“We embarked on this journey with a clear mission: to make life at sea more inclusive and appealing to seafarers of all backgrounds,” said Susanne Justesen, Programme Director, Global Maritime Forum. “Following the publica1on of the ’15 Key Pain Points for Women at Sea’ report, we transformed more than 40 ideas into concrete measures and solutions, which became the Diversity@Sea pilot. The pilot project seeks to test these chosen measures and proposed solu1ons aboard select vessels. We aim to gain practical insights into what cons1tutes an aDrac1ve and inclusive mari1me career at sea and collec1vely take ac1on to drive the necessary changes.” To track the progress of the par1cipa1ng companies towards the stated goals of the pilot, the Global Mari1me Forum will gather and assess data from crew members onboard the pilot vessels in partnership with independent mari1me data analytics firm PsiFyi. Compara1ve analysis with nonpar1cipa1ng vessels will offer insights into the effec1veness of these measures.

“Our launch today signifies the commitment and determination of maritime heavyweights to drive transformative change and ultimately establish a future in which respect, dignity, and inclusivity are cornerstones throughout the en1re supply chain,” said Justesen.
Source: Global Maritime Forum