Mental health professionals are cautioning that the maritime industry must eliminate barriers for women at sea or risk losing future talent and leadership. Celebrating International Women’s Day, experts from Mental Health Support Solutions (MHSS) emphasized the often-overlooked challenges female seafarers face. Many women feel compelled to work harder to demonstrate their capabilities while juggling family obligations and combating entrenched stereotypes.
Moreover, these women often bear the weight of representing all females on board, which adds to their stress. They meticulously manage their public personas to avoid being marginalized while handling demanding workloads and workplace bias. This confluence of pressures can adversely affect their mental health and self-esteem, making career advancement seem more daunting than aspirational.
MHSS is committed to supporting women in the maritime sector through its Female Ambassador Programme, which has trained over 50 mentors and engaged more than 100 female seafarers globally since its inception in 2024. Mariana Charalambous, Managing Director of MHSS, stated that ongoing efforts are essential to provide more mentorship opportunities for women at sea.
According to the IMO-WISTA Women in Maritime Survey 2024, women represent just under 19% of the maritime workforce, a decline from 26% in 2021. Stella Kiss, Head of Clinical Operations at MHSS, noted that the emotional burdens female seafarers carry often exceed those of their male counterparts, underscoring the necessity for targeted support to ensure their well-being and career sustainability.
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