Female Seafarers Research Articles

Work values and productivity among female seafarers

Work values and productivity among female seafarers

Activity of Public Organizations Aimed at Ensuring Health Protection of Women Seafarers

Introduction. Navigation is one of the oldest professions associated with a wide range of factors that negatively affect physical, mental, and social well-being. Besides the general characteristics of the seafarer's profession, the wellbeing of women onboard depends on physiological characteristics, the social environment and the team’s social climate. In international practice, there is a vast experience of the participation of the non-profit sector in addressing issues of seafarers' health. A special attention is paid to women's public organizations, whose activities are focused on women seafarers. The purpose of the study was to review the activities of public (non-governmental, non-profit) women's organizations aimed at protecting the health of civilian female seafarers. Materials and methods. In this research, general scientific research methods were used: analysis, synthesis, generalization, as well as secondary data analysis of the international study “Women Seafarers' Health and Welfare Survey,” where health problems and accessibility of medical care for civilian female seafarers were discussed. Results. Civil navigation, both on land and at sea, is regarded as one of the most difficult professions in the world. Working conditions may lead to a wide range of problems with physical, mental, and emotional well-being of seafarers. Women employed in civil navigation face specific problems related to their health and its protection, as well as to the availability of health care. When the protection of women's health is not supported by the shipowner or ship management team, it can be provided by public organizations of women seafarers.

Gaya Kepemimpinan Wanita Dan Disiplin Kerja Terhadap Kinerja Anak Buah Kapal: Studi Pada Pelaut Wanita Indonesia Yang Onboard

The purpose of this study was to determine and analyze: 1) the effect of female leadership style on work discipline, 2) the effect of female leadership style on performance, 3) the effect of work discipline on performance. This type of research is causal associative quantitative with a survey approach. In this study, a saturated sampling technique was used because all members of the population were sampled as many as 60 ship crews where there was a female leader.This research was conducted on ship crews where there were female leaders/officers consisting of the deck department and engine department with a total population of 60 people. The results showed 1) leadership style has a significant effect on work discipline, 2) women's leadership style has a significant effect on performance, and 3) work discipline has a significant effect on performance. This shows that women's leadership style and work discipline have a simultaneous and significant impact on the performance of Indonesian female seafarers onboard.

Educating Future Female Seafarers in the Maritime College from the Perspective of Masculinity

Recently, the Maritime Bureau and Seafarers Policy Division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism have been working to promote gender equality in the seafarer industry. Moreover, in 2017, the “Committee on the Promotion of Female Seafarers’ Activities from a Female Experts’ Perspective” was launched to discuss the issue. I participated in this committee as one of three academic experts. The committee has reported that the percentage of female seafarers in the Japanese shipping industry is only 2%, and less than 10% of shipping companies have shown a positive attitude toward the employment of female seafarers, indicating that the employment of female seafarers is not being promoted. The purpose of this study is to train female students in maritime colleges to be able to work as seafarers with leadership skills in the future using “masculinity” as a keyword.

WOMEN AND MARITIME PIRACY IN PREMODERN ISLAND SOUTHEAST ASIA

The historiography of maritime piracy has largely concentrated on the experience of male seafarers and featured their reckless adventure, violence, and harsh life. In the male-focused historiography of seafaring and maritime piracy, women’s presence on the sea has been often reduced to the symbolic realm of the wooden figureheads carved into the bow of sailing vessels. Maritime historians over the past few decades have uncovered and rediscovered life stories of female seafarers and pirates across the ages and regions. Against this backdrop, this article reviews leading works primarily in English on statecraft and commerce in premodern island Southeast Asia, a historical and contemporary hub of maritime piracy. In a striking contrast with the world’s major seas and oceans, the region is marked by a relative absence of women pirates.This article is using qualitative method-data from archieves. The findings of this article suggests that in seafaring communities of island Southeast Asia were not pirates or did not become one because of complementarity in gender roles, social patterns based on bilateral kinship, and women’s prominence in local commerce. These observations effectively turn our attention away from the quest of women pirates to a broader examination on gender roles and gender relations in seafaring societies.

Gender in the maritime space: how can the experiences of women seafarers working in the UK shipping industry be improved?

AbstractSeafaring, as a traditionally male-dominated industry, continues to have very few female seafarers, with approximately 2% globally being women. This paper draws on the findings of a study that considered both the experiences of women seafarers working in the UK shipping industry and the views of key industry stakeholder representatives, and asks what must be done to improve those experiences? Responses across the industry suggest that all women seafarers will experience some form of harassment during their careers, which has significant implications for their occupational health, safety and wellbeing. These experiences reflect failures of leadership in developing and promoting a safe and inclusive onboard culture. This paper calls for fundamental change within the industry, including improvements in training and leadership to reflect modern seafaring and diversity on board. It also calls for relevant policy and strategic changes to be based on the views of seafarers and their representatives. It concludes that improving the experiences of women on board will improve the occupational health, safety and wellbeing of all seafarers, regardless of gender or any other characteristic or classification.

The Legal Protection of Indonesian Female Seafarer

Analysis of legal protection for Indonesian female seafarer. Based on these central issues, this study aims to determine what regulations protect Indonesian female seafarers and how to implement Indonesian female seafarer's protection based on existing ordinances. The method of data collection was a literature study, observation sheet, and interviews guide. The collected data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive analysis techniques. This study's population was representatives of the Directorate General of Sea Transportation and members of the Indonesian Women Seafarers' Organization, namely: Indonesia Female Marine (IFMA) and Indonesian Lady Seafarers (ILS).The research results showed that national and international law had guaranteed legal protection to Indonesian female mariner of various rules and regulations. This guarantee was used in obtaining decent and productive work into independent, equal, and safe conditions with dignity so that if they do not get discriminatory treatment. Implementation of legal protection for women seafarers has not been accommodated by legal subjects, both in the legal structure, legal substance or legal culture.It is based on conditions where there are still minimum opportunities for decent work and lack of social protection for female seafarer when doing their job. This is evidenced by the Circular Letter of the DirectorGeneral of Hubla of the Ministry of Transportation No.Um.003 / 80/9 / DJPL-1 concerning the Fulfillment / Granting of the Rights of Female Seafarer, and the Circular of the Ministry of Transportation's Directorate General of Transportation Hubla No.UM.002 /89/3 / DK -17 concerning the Fulfillment / Granting of the Rights of Female Seafarer.which was philosophically issued at the insistence of the Indonesian Female Marine(IFMA) which received many reports from the female seafarer.

A Survey on the Working Conditions and Improvement Measures for Female Seafarers in Japan

A Survey on the Working Conditions and Improvement Measures for Female Seafarers in Japan

Turning the tide: reducing mortality among Danish merchant seafarers

ObjectivesWhile life at sea traditionally has presented a variety of potential hazards, rigorous measures have been taken in the past decades to ensure the safety and health of all aboard...

Empirical analyzes of the causes for gender inequalities in the maritime profession

Based on the empirical research of a study with 401 respondents from different maritime domains the paper identifies some causes for gender inequalities in the seafaring profession. The study analyzes the physical and social obstacles for integrating female seafarers in the specific maritime environment.The results of the survey confirm that men and women differ in the attitudes they have for the working environment on a ship. The measurement scale used is reflected in the single-factor analysis. The conclusions contribute to the development of additional training courses for maritime universities to be prepared to give their students the necessary knowledge to reduce the gender differences in their future work on a ship.

Forging ahead: leveraging inclusive and equitable education to bridge the gender gap in the Caribbean

Equitable and open access to education is recognized as a facilitator in the advancement and empowerment of women and girls. The World Bank has reported that 94% of girls in the Caribbean attend schools, and in the context of tertiary education, women outnumber men at the University of the West Indies (UWI) 63% to 37%. If graduation statistics reflect a similar trend, the number of professionally qualified women will consistently exceed the number of men attaining tertiary level education. While this data suggests advances for gender diversity in workspaces, the subscription to education and training in certain professions remain heavily male dominated. Data on maritime education and training (MET) indicates a female to male ratio of 1:5 for tertiary level seafaring programs at The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), and this trend is mirrored in other Caribbean territories. Low female enrollment rates therefore indicate a corresponding low level of female graduates entering seafaring as a profession. This paper highlights Trinidad and Tobago as a case study for MET gender statistics within the Caribbean region. Policies, laws, relevant international instruments, human development reports, and the level of implementation in relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular Goal 4 (quality education) and Goal 5 (gender equality), are also examined in reference to MET. Increasing the number of female seafarers is an imperative for the sector as research indicates that female participation in the workplace effectively enhances financial performance. With the many challenges facing the shipping community, can we afford to exclude women from seafaring opportunities? Leveraging inclusive education is therefore a tool for promoting gender equality and enhancing the performance of the maritime sector.

Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and neoplasms in seafarers and farmers in Denmark

Abstract Background Seafaring is a very specific occupational environment and seafarers are exposed to many health risks. On the other hand, regular medical examinations are obligatory to get permission for working onboard. We sought to estimate relative risk of hospital contacts due to neoplasms, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases among seafarers compared to farmers, as a relevant land-based trade. Methods The participants were all seafarers and all farmers aged 18-65 year at the baseline and residing in Denmark. Two cohorts with baselines in 2002 (n = 56,216) and 2012 (n = 42,000) were linked to records from Danish health registers. We calculated the hazard ratios of hospital contacts using Cox regression models separately for men and women. Results In all disease categories, the risk for hospital contact was greater among male seafarers compared with male farmers. The adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for the 2012 cohort for neoplasms, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases were 1.36 (95% CI: 1.17 to 1.58), 1.16 (1.01 to 1.32), and 1.51 (1.28 to 1.78), respectively. Among female seafarers, the HR for the 2012 cohort for respiratory diseases was 1.58 (1.18 to 2.10), but for cardiovascular diseases 0.73 (0.54 to 0.99). Differences for neoplasms were marginal among women. The incident rates and differences decreased in cardiovascular diseases and increased in neoplasms and respiratory diseases, particularly in men. Conclusions:These data suggest that seafaring is associated, compared with farmers, with a substantially increased risk of neoplasms, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases among men. Key messages Seafaring is associated, compared with farmers, with a substantially increased risk of neoplasms, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases among men. The incidence rates were highest for CVD in men and for neoplasms in women.

The role of the International Labour Organisation in reducing maritime gender gap and motivating more female towards seafaring careers

In the Maritime transport sector there is a large gender gap, considering that women are estimated to represent only 2% of the total number of seafarers across globe (ILO data, 2003). While there is a real demand of seafarers on the shipping market (BIMCO/ICS statistics), women seafarers represent untapped resource for the employment needs. This paper presents the partial outcome of a holistic research study on the actions needed to motivate female join maritime seafaring careers and reduce maritime gender gap. The aim of the study is to identify the perception of various maritime stakeholders on the capacity of institutions to develop actions for attracting more women towards seafaring careers. The results of the research are obtained through literature review on ILO programs, discussions/interviews and online survey targeting the opinion of 823 maritime stakeholders: employers, other organizations in the maritime industry, female seafarers, male seafarers, female ex-seafarers, male ex-seafarers and other. The study emphasizes the role of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for reducing the world maritime gender gap through amendments to legal instruments as the Maritime Labour Convention or other conventions.

The role of Maritime Labour Convention in reducing maritime gender inequalities

The problem of gender equality in the maritime field represents a challenge for obtaining human progress, economic development, respect, multiculturalism awareness and recognition of human rights. In a specific area like the maritime sector, gender issues are often considered taboo subjects. This paper presents a part of the results of a holistic study developed in 2018 on the role of the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) in solving maritime gender gap, through amendments of gender requirements designated for the maritime industry. Several suggestions of amendments are proposed to attract more females to seafarer jobs and to reduce disparities in employment in the sector. The research method consists in an online survey applied to 887 respondents, divided in 9 diverse categories of maritime stakeholders. The main conclusion shows that, among 6 gender requirements that should be amended to the MLC, the most important is related to implementing gender policies in shipping companies.for nondiscriminatory employment of female seafarers.

Rubbing out gender: women and merchant ships

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to show how gender differences are rubbed out and simultaneously reinforced in intentional and unintentional ways. It will do this by exploring the experiences of female cadets/seafarers.Design/methodology/approach– This paper is drawn from two independent PhD theses, where one of the theses conducted ethnographic fieldwork aboard a container ship in 2009. The other thesis used a case study research design of cadetship programmes in the Philippines using structured interviews, observations with the aid of fieldnotes and documentary analysis of records from seven maritime schools and cadetship programmes of ship-owners.Findings– This paper reveals that the merchant vessel remains to be a “man’s world” where female seafarers are marginalised. It also shows that the maritime colleges in the Philippines deploy training practices that reproduce the gender biases against women participation to seafaring because the socialisation of cadets are fraught with the values and symbols of a hegemonic masculinity intent to silence other genders. On board ships, similar contradictory rubbing out and reproducing of gender differentials are observed. This shows how controlling gender is difficult.Research limitations/implications– Observations conducted are limited to one shipboard voyage and whether the same manifestation in different types of ships, ship routes and crew mix would emerge require triangulation with other forms of data collection like in-depth interviews with seafarers on board.Practical implications– Ethnographic insights offer valuable insights for novice researchers and those conducting shipboard research.Originality/value– Not much study has been done with respect to the presence of women on board and how they disrupt and play with masculine space. This paper provides empirical evidence and insights on the ambivalence of integrating women in the seafaring profession owing to official and unofficial policies and training that intentionally and unintentionally construct women as unfit to work as sea-based professionals.

Health of Danish seafarers and fishermen 1970-2010: What have register-based studies found?

This study aimed to review Danish register-studies on seafarers' and fishermen's health and safety. Register-based or register-linked studies from 1970 until 2012 were identified and reviewed. Four categories of studies were included: mortality, hospitalization, specific diagnoses and conditions and accidents. Standardized risks estimates were typically calculated by comparison with the total Danish working population. Elevated rates were found in all four categories. For mortality male seafarers had excess rates of accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, and suicides, and fishermen of accidents and cardiovascular disorders. Female seafarers in male-dominated occupations also had increased mortality rates. Elevated hospitalization rates for male seafarers were particularly prominent for endocrine/nutritional conditions, cervical discopathy, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases, cancers, hearing impairment, and injuries, and for female seafarers cancers, circulatory and genitourinary diseases and injuries. Fishermen had increased hospitalization rates for cardiovascular diseases, bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, gonarthrosis, thoracolumbar discopathy, rotator cuff syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, injuries and hearing impairment. Specific diagnoses and conditions: There was an elevated risk of tuberculosis, hepatitis B and certain cancers for male seafarers, and of obesity and occupational accidents for both fishermen and seafarers. In spite of safety measures and significant structural changes in the Danish merchant and fishing fleet, the spectrum of health indicators continues to indicate considerable risk factors in the maritime environment and/or the lifestyle of seafarers and fishermen. Future monitoring of fishermen's and seafarers' health will remain essential for implementing appropriate preventive measures.

A Study on the Activation Strategy for Female Maritime Officers using AHP

As the ratio of women's socioeconomic participation expanded, this phenomenon appeared maritime industry. The advent of female seafarers will be the solution for the shortage of seafarer as well as for women's employment instability all over the world. This paper analyzed the state of present female maritime officers and suggested the activation strategy which preliminary female officers advised by AHP and STOW analysis. This paper finds to strengthen their superior aspects like professional knowledge, practical ability, job performance, improve the education system by gender, strengthen the career path and transform the policy for them by sensitively external changes by government and education institutions.

The metabolic syndrome among Danish seafarers

Representing a cluster of risk factors related to insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome (MS) is defined by a constellation of increased waist circumference in combination with dyslipidaemia, hyperglycaemia, and/or increased blood pressure. MS is a strong risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. Approximately 1/5 of Danish adults have MS, which has an etiological relation to nutritional factors, sleep patterns, work-related stress, fatigue, and physical activity - all of which are critical issues at sea. Out of 655 Danish seafarers attending medical fitness examination by seafarers'doctors in 4 clinics, 524 participants (mean age of 38.5 years) underwent waist circumference measurements and provided questionnaire information about their workplace on board and their consumption of tobacco and alcohol. Blood samples were taken if waist circumference was increased. MS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation as central obesity in combination with 2 out of the following conditions: elevated triglycerides, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and reduced HDL-cholesterol (or treated hyperlipaemia or hypertension, or previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes, respectively). The crude baseline prevalence of MS was 25.9% among male and 10.7% among female Danish seafarers. 30.6% were current smokers. The alcohol consumption was comparable to that of Danes ashore, but exceeded recommendations of 18.6%. MS was increased in this young group of seafarers. Seafarers with MS were advised to 10% weight-reduction, physical activity 1/2 hour/day, reduced intake of saturated fat and increased fibres indiet, smoking cessation, and control of alcohol consumption as an intervention measure. Follow-up will take place after 2 years.

Prevalence of HBV infection among different HIV‐risk groups in Hai Phong, Vietnam

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Hai Phong, northern Vietnam, was characterized by analyzing the prevalence and genotype distribution of HBV as well as co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) among five different risk groups for HIV infection. Plasma samples were collected from intravenous drug users (n=760, anti-HIV-1 antibody positive rate: 35.9%), female sex workers (FSWs; n=91, 23.1%), seafarers (n=94, 0%), pregnant women (n=200, 0.5%), and blood donors (n=210, 2.9%) in 2007 [Ishizaki et al. (2009): AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 25:175-182]. Samples were screened for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HBs antibody and analyzed genetically. The cumulative HBV incidence rate (HBsAg+anti-HBs) was 53.2% (10.7+42.5%) in intravenous drug users, 51.6% (11.0+40.6%) in FSWs, 54.3% (9.6+44.7%) in seafarers, 50.5% (12.5+38.0%) in pregnant women, and 51.0% (18.1+32.9%) in blood donors; there was no significant difference among these groups. Of 163 HBsAg-positive samples, 113 could be analyzed genetically. Phylogenetic analysis, based on the preS1 region, revealed genotype B4 was most prevalent (90/113; 79.6%), followed by C1 (17.7%), I1 (1.8%), and B2 (0.9%). There was no significant difference in HBV genotype distribution among different HIV infection-risk groups. The prevalence of HBsAg was 10.3% (31/301) in HIV-1-infected individuals and 12.5% (132/1,054) in non-HIV-1-infected individuals, which was not significant. In addition, no significant difference in HBV genotype distribution was observed between HBV/HIV-1 coinfected and HBV mono-infected groups. These results suggest that, although HBV and HIV-1 share modes of transmission, major transmission routes of HBV have been different from those of HIV-1 in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Profile of HIV Type 1 Infection and Genotypic Resistance Mutations to Antiretroviral Drugs in Treatment-Naive HIV Type 1-Infected Individuals in Hai Phong, Viet Nam

We evaluated the prevalence and profile of antiretroviral treatment (ART)-associated resistance mutations among HIV-1 strains in northern Vietnam by genotypically analyzing strains isolated from ART-naive individuals in Hai Phong, a city in which HIV-1 is highly prevalent. Plasma samples were collected from injecting drug users (IDU, n = 760), female sex workers (FSW, n = 91), seafarers (n = 94), pregnant women (n = 200), and blood donors (n = 210), and screened for HIV-1 antibodies. Plasma viral RNA was extracted from HIV-1-positive samples, amplified by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR of protease and RT genes, and analyzed for genotypes and ART-associated resistance mutations. HIV-1 prevalence among IDU, FSW, seafarers, pregnant women, and blood donors was 35.9%, 23.1%, 0%, 0.5%, and 2.9%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the most prevalent HIV-1 subtype was CRF01_AE (98.3%), similar to strains prevalent in southern China. Four (1.4%) subtype B strains and one (0.3%) unique recombinant between subtypes B and C were also identified. We found protease inhibitor-associated major resistance mutations in one of the 294 cases analyzed (0.3%; mutation M46I). We found RT inhibitor-associated major resistance mutations in 7/273 cases (2.6%; one occurrence each of L74I, M184I, and K219E; three cases of K103N; and two cases of G190E). One CRF01_AE strain harboring a protease codon 35 insertion was first identified in Vietnam. Thus, monitoring of drug-resistant HIV-1 and establishment of a database are required for the proper selection of ART in Vietnam.