Master Mariners organises seminar on “Women in Maritime – Trials and Tribulations” in Mumbai

The Company of Master Mariners India in association with The Institute of Marine Engineers (Mumbai Branch) and The Institution of Naval Architects India, successfully hosted the seminar “Women in Maritime – Trials and Tribulations” at the Kohinoor Continental Hotel, Mumbai on Saturday, 11th May 2024. This event was held in line with the vision of the International Maritime Organization’s International Day for Women in Maritime, which is celebrated on 18th May every year.

Vaishnavi Narvekar from GE Shipping as Emcee for the event commenced the proceedings and welcomed the dignitaries on the stage including Shyam Jagannathan IAS, Director General of Shipping, H. K. Joshi – ex CMD Shipping Corporation of India, Capt. M. P. Bhasin – Chairman, CMMI, Rajeev Nayyer – President IME(I) and J. Dasgupta – President, Institution of Naval Architects India. Capt Bhasin welcomed the guests and the attendees to the seminar in his address.

The seminar commenced with the traditional “Lighting of the Lamp” ceremony, symbolizing the inauguration of the event. The Director General of Shipping, Shri. Shyam Jagannathan IAS graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. In his opening address, he highlighted a significant statistic: women represent less than 2% of the global maritime workforce, with an even smaller proportion from India.

He stressed the urgent need to increase Indian women’s participation in maritime industries to  chieve a more gender-diverse and neutral workplace. He also detailed the Government of India’s initiatives, such as “Sagar Mein Samman,” part of the Maritime India Vision 2030, aimed at enhancing women’s participation in maritime sectors.

The keynote address was delivered by H. K. Joshi, former CMD of SCI, who inspired the audience with her message on finding opportunities in adversity and turning challenges into successes through determination and the right attitude. She shared her experiences and the importance of tenacity, earning her the title “The Iron Lady of Shipping.” It was truly a hard hitting and significant element of the seminar.

The seminar featured several notable speakers:

• Sapna Dipu, Manager MDL, who discussed her pioneering experiences and the shipbuilding process.

• Janene Vishwanathan, IRS Surveyor, who spoke on ship construction, classification, and her personal journey.

• Reshma Nilofer, Maritime Pilot at S.P. Mukherjee Port, who shared the challenges she faces in pilotage.

• Sandhya Pillai, Maritime Lawyer, who highlighted maritime claims issues and her career path in maritime law.

Just prior the second session we had Sanjam Sahi Gupta speak about the survey she is conducting for the women seafarers and requesting for participation from one and all so that a correct conclusion can be drawn from the survey.

The second session included a dynamic Fireside Chat moderated by Sonali Banerjee, Principal Surveyor at IRS and India’s first female Marine Engineer. The panelists included: Rupali Raj Joshi, IRS Surveyor and former HOD of New Mangalore Port Trust. Bhagyashree Ogale, MEO Cl-1 Engineer and First Engineer with Teekay Tankers. Capt. Anuradha Jha, Safety and Nautical Compliance Superintendent at APM Maersk. Capt. Aswathi Pillai, Voyage Manager/Commercial Operations with Maersk Tankers, Mumbai.

The panel discussion sparked vibrant conversations on the unconscious biases and intangible challenges women face in the maritime industry. The panellists addressed key issues, such as working across differing opinions, challenges in promotion within seafaring professions, building confidence and resilience, and dealing with biases from top management. They also called for empathy and openness to change within the industry. David Birwadkar, Chairman of IMEI, summarized the day’s sessions, and the event concluded with a vote of thanks from J. Dasgupta, President of INA.