Shipping has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, particularly at sea, with 98% of UK maritime jobs still held by men

Bringing more women into any industry is beneficial for business and society.

 

The rise of female-focussed organisations within shipping – such as WISTA – and the launch of the International Day for Women in Maritime by the International Maritime Organization have done great work to attract and support women in the maritime industry. However, there is more to be done

 

The pandemic has negatively impacted the gender pay gap across every industry

The Maritime HR Association, run by Spinnaker, collects pay gap data for the maritime industry as part of its annual compensation survey

 

Spinnaker’s 2021 salary data for over 3,300 UK shore-based employees also reveals a decline in the proportion of women in the industry since the start of the pandemic

Challenging the status quo is never easy and bridging shipping’s gender gap will require work from organisations across the industry. It can be hard to know where to begin, but there are actions that the maritime industry can take to attract, recruit, and retain women and minimise the pay gap.

.Improving salary transparency in job adverts by advertising salary bands can also help to close the pay gap, as it removes the need to ask candidates what they’re currently earning and what salary they expect from the new role.

 Shipping is way behind the curve when it comes to bridging the gender gap and it is time for the industry as a whole – and not just the larger corporate employers – to take decisive action not only to encourage more women to apply for job roles on offer, but to retain that talent and deliver pay equity once they are onboard.