Women's rights

Women make up only an estimated two percent of the world's maritime workforce. 

Most work in the cruise and ferries sectors, and women are significantly underrepresented on cargo ships. 

Women working on ferries are usually employed on national flagged vessels, which often have better conditions than Flags of Convenience (FOC) vessels. Generally, jobs on FOCs can have low wages, long hours of work and even unsafe conditions onboard. However, FOC vessels that are covered by an ITF agreement (collective bargaining agreement, or CBA) give the seafarer extra protections and have better terms and conditions. 

Long contracts at sea can be a barrier for many women working at sea. ITF affiliate unions have been working for years to reduce the length of contracts for all seafarers. After the introduction of the MLC, contract lengths are limited to 11 months plus one month vacation per year. Many unions have managed to negotiate contracts to much shorter lengths, for example, in the cruise industry, contracts can vary from between eight months to as short as four months.

Fear of discrimination, bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment, are strong barriers to women going to sea. A male-centred culture and lack of provisions for women onboard also put a stop to many women making seafaring their career.

The ITF and its affiliated maritime unions are working to change the culture, priorities and practices on board so that more women are attracted to, and stay longer in, maritime jobs.

As a seafarer, your rights are set out in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), and other legislation covering specific areas. You can read more about this if you download the MLC. If your ship is covered by a CBA, the regulations around your work will have the MLC as a minimum standards but more likely will have better terms and conditions negotiated by the union.

Find out if your vessel is covered by a union agreement and contact the union to find out more.

Here, we help you understand what your legal protections and rights are as women working at sea and learn where you can get advice and support.

Your right to work free of violence and harassment
 

We welcome the IMO/ILO recommended new steps against shipboard violence and harassment, which include new IMO mandatory training for seafarers, along with their agreement to launch a joint international awareness campaign to combat violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault, in the maritime sector. 

Your right to employment based on safe and decent work is also protected by the legally binding ILO Convention 190 (C190) and Recommendation 206 (R206), non-binding guidelines on how to apply C190. 

Your unions and the ITF implement and enforce these and other rights through their collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), which directly cover your employment at sea.

The Convention identifies the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment, and R206 provides a clear framework for action by shipping companies, unions and seafarers to achieve this.

The ITF is campaigning with its unions for more governments to ratify the C190 convention, which will require them to put in place laws and policy measures to prevent and address violence and harassment at work.

Key elements of C190 

• It gives shipping companies a responsibility to ensure that policies are in place to eliminate all forms of violence and harassment on board their ships.
• It gives unions and seafarers a duty to help ensure that inappropriate behaviour does not take place. 
• It enables seafarers’ unions to require that C190 language is included in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) and to negotiate workplace policies and procedures. 
• It gives the seafarer a right to remove themselves from a situation if they are in imminent and serious danger to life, health or safety due to violence and harassment.
• It gives the seafarer a right to report violence and harassment - you can do this through the chain of command on board or contact your union directly or DPA if there is no union.
• It gives the seafarer a right to confidentiality during complaint and investigation procedures as well as protection from retaliation.

The R206 guidelines can help you to:

• recognise the early signs of bullying and harassment in your colleagues – such as changes in behaviour, isolation, low morale or poor work performance; 
• get actively involved as bystanders where you witness these behaviours; and 
• encourage those of you who have experienced violence and harassment to report incidents without fear of retaliation.

Find out more about C190 and how it can be used to protect you in the ITF ILO C190 Transport Workers Toolkit 

In addition, the MLC’s grievance procedure sets out your rights, including these key ones. 

• It gives you the right to complain directly to the master, and to external authorities where appropriate.
• It gives you the right to be accompanied or represented when making a complaint.