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Day of the Seafarer: I Am On Board with Gender Equality

June 25, 2019, by World Maritime News

The International Maritime Organization’s annual Day of the Seafarer (DotS), celebrated on June 25, is putting a strong emphasis on the importance and value of women within the professional ranks this year.

Illustration; Image Courtesy: Pexels under CC0 Creative Commons license

The 2019 campaign – I Am On Board with gender equality – is being driven by the World Maritime Day theme (Empowering Women in the Maritime Community).

“It is already clear that this theme has a very strong and far-reaching resonance,” according to the IMO.

It provides a chance to highlight opportunities for women, as well as the contributions they are already making, in a wide range of maritime careers and professions, but the focus will be very firmly on one aspect of that community – seafarers, the organization explained.

Each year the IMO celebrates the seafarers with a campaign that focuses on the importance of seafarers’ work for the benefit of the whole world in a sector that accounts for around 90% of the world’s transported good.

​In recent years there has been focus on the physical and mental well-being of seafarers, while this year’s campaign is dedicated to the role of women in shipping.

“Shipping has been a male dominated industry for years, but now times are changing. Women are coming to sea and they are proving themselves,” Human Rights at Sea said.

HRAS published the updated story and case study of Electro Technical Officer, Amreen Bano, an Indian seafarer who is helping to lead the way to increased inclusion and acceptance of women at sea.

The case study outlines the underpinning of her Muslim faith, her immediate family support, her constant drive in the face of bias and adversity, including the challenges she has faced to achieve her qualifications and Certificate of Competence as the first and youngest female ETO in India, in a previously male-dominated industry.

Bano’s entire success story can be found here.