Years of advocacy by Nautilus, its female members, and maritime organizations have culminated in a significant victory for women at sea. Recent amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention, adopted in June 2025, mandate that ships provide adequate menstrual hygiene products for seafarers and proper disposal methods. These amendments, along with measures to combat sexual harassment and enhance seafarer welfare, will take effect by December 2027, although implementation will depend on individual flag states.
Rachel Lynch, the Union’s women’s lead, praised these changes as a crucial step in removing barriers for women in maritime roles. She emphasized the long-standing campaign for sanitary products and expressed a commitment to monitoring how flag states put these reforms into action. Lynch also highlighted the Union’s push for free access to menstrual products in the UK and raised concerns about their storage and disposal on ships.
Mark Dickinson, the Union’s general secretary, echoed the need for stronger reforms, advocating for maternity leave and sanitary provisions during the TUC Women’s Conference. In a related initiative, the Seafarers’ Hospital Society launched a pilot project in September 2024 to provide free feminine hygiene products to women crew members at UK ports, funded by a grant from the TK Foundation and The Seafarers’ Charity.
