Chapter 6: Maritime Transport

In maritime transport, disparities in mobility between men and women manifest through multifaceted challenges that extend beyond basic transportation access to encompass complex interactions between infrastructure design, operational patterns, and sociocultural norms.

Ports and shipyards, typically located in industrial or remote coastal areas, often lie outside established public transportation networks. This spatial disconnection creates particular difficulties for women, who tend to rely more heavily on public transport. The problem is especially acute during early morning shifts or late-night operations when public transport services are minimal or nonexistent. The lack of reliable, scheduled transportation forces many women to either forgo maritime employment opportunities or resort to more expensive private transport options, creating an economic barrier to sector participation.

The first- and last-mile connectivity to maritime facilities poses additional challenges. Even when public transport exists, the final segments likely involve walking through poorly lit industrial areas with limited pedestrian infrastructure. This infrastructure gap disproportionately affects women, who may need to navigate these spaces during odd hours, while carrying necessary work equipment or managing personal safety concerns. Table 6.1 highlights some interventions to improve availability of maritime transport for women. Box 6.1 presents a case study from South Asia.

Affordability challenges significantly impact women's access to maritime transport, often compounding broader mobility barriers. Women, especially those in low-income or informal employment, are more likely to rely on cost-sensitive transport options. However, maritime transport services often lack flexible fare structures, making daily commutes unaffordable for many. The absence of discounted tickets, multiride passes, or family fare packages disproportionately affects women who travel with dependents or need to make multiple trips. When combined with limited connectivity to ferry terminals and the high cost of private transport alternatives, these affordability constraints reduce women's ability to access education, employment, and essential services via maritime routes. Table 6.2 highlights some key interventions to address maritime affordability barriers for women and not only.

Women users of maritime transport often face physical accessibility challenges due to maritime infrastructure that is not designed with their specific needs in mind. For instance, poorly designed embarkation points, inadequate boarding facilities, and a lack of accessible pathways to reach ferry terminals or ships can hinder their ability to travel safely. Many ports and terminals still lack ramps, elevators, or other features that would make it easier for everyone—particularly those with children, elderly passengers, or those carrying heavy loads—to access ships and transit services. Additionally, the absence of clearly marked paths, proper seating at waiting areas, or designated spaces for passengers with diverse needs further exacerbates these challenges. Table 6.3 highlights some key interventions.

The isolated location of many maritime facilities, combined with 24/7 operational requirements, creates unique security vulnerabilities. Poor lighting in operational areas, inadequate surveillance systems, and limited security personnel presence, especially during night shifts, heighten these risks. The situation is further complicated by the industrial nature of port environments, where safety hazards extend beyond personal security to include occupational risks that may affect women differently due to inadequate safety equipment and protocols. Table 6.4 highlights some key interventions. 

Women in the maritime sector face significant barriers in recruitment, retention, and career advancement. 

Recruitment is hindered by limited awareness of opportunities, particularly in technical roles, and by gender stereotypes and biases. Long shifts, especially at sea, and physical demands often conflict with women’s caregiving responsibilities, limiting their ability to stay in seafaring roles. Career progression is challenged by rigid routes, lack of mentorship, and limited access to seagoing opportunities. Women in leadership roles also face resistance to their authority, creating additional barriers to advancement. Inadequate workplace infrastructure, such as the lack of women-friendly facilities and PPE, further compounds these challenges, contributing to the gender gaps in the sector. 

Limited awareness about maritime career opportunities for women represents a fundamental barrier. Most women in the industry work in administrative roles, such as finance and clerical work at the ports, while few are appointed as surveyors of ships. The sector’s traditional image of being dominated by men, combined with insufficient outreach to women students in maritime education and training institutions, creates a significant information gap. This is particularly evident in technical and operational roles, where women’s representation in maritime academies and training programs remains low. The lack of visible female role models in operational positions further perpetuates this awareness deficit, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of low participation.

Recruitment practices often reflect deeply entrenched biases regarding women’s ability to handle physically demanding operational roles. These biases manifest in both explicit and implicit forms, from direct discrimination in hiring processes to subtle discouragements during recruitment. Recruiters frequently express skepticism about women’s ability to manage jobs like marine piloting, cargo handling, or engineering, despite evidence of successful female performance in these positions. This bias is particularly pronounced in operational roles where physical strength is perceived as a primary requirement, even when technological advancements have significantly reduced physical demands.

Onboard positions typically require four-to-six-month deployments at sea, a schedule that conflicts with societal expectations about women's family responsibilities. Similarly, port operations often involve irregular shift patterns and extended exposure to harsh weather conditions, creating work-life balance challenges that disproportionately affect women. The lack of flexible working arrangements or job-sharing options further compounds these difficulties, particularly for women with caregiving responsibilities. Table 6.5 presents some interventions that the maritime employers can implement to attract and employ women, along with their corresponding indicators. 
 

Legal restrictions in numerous jurisdictions explicitly limit women’s participation in specific maritime roles or during certain working hours. For instance, in some countries, regulations prohibit women from working night shifts in ports or restrict their access to certain vessel areas, ostensibly for safety reasons. These regulatory barriers, often framed as protective measures, effectively exclude women from crucial operational experiences necessary for career advancement.

The sector demonstrates notable deficiencies in workplace policies that are supportive of women’s needs. Private terminal operators and port authorities frequently lack comprehensive maternity leave policies, parental leave provisions, or structured return-to-work programs. This gap is particularly pronounced at shipping companies, where the unique demands of seafaring careers create complex challenges for policy implementation. For instance, many vessels lack appropriate facilities for nursing mothers or fail to provide adequate health care coverage for women-specific medical needs. The absence of childcare facilities at maritime workplaces, combined with inflexible scheduling practices, creates additional barriers for women balancing professional and family responsibilities.

Many maritime facilities lack restrooms for women, changing areas, or appropriately sized PPE. This infrastructural deficit is particularly acute in older port facilities and vessels, where physical space constraints and budgetary limitations complicate retrofitting efforts. The absence of these essential facilities not only creates practical difficulties but also sends a clear message about the sector's limited commitment to gender equality. Table 6.6 presents some interventions that the maritime employers can implement to improve their human resources policies and practices, along with their corresponding indicators. 

Career advancement in maritime operations demands multiple professional certifications and mandatory seafaring experience, creating layered barriers for women. For instance, progression to senior roles like harbor master or marine superintendent typically requires extensive sea time—often 10–20 years—combined with specialized certifications. This requirement poses particular challenges for women, who must not only navigate the technical demands of these qualifications but also overcome discrimination in gaining practical experience. This is further complicated by limited access to mentorship and professional networks traditionally crucial for career advancement in the maritime sector.

Many women find themselves compelled to transition from seagoing positions to shore-based roles or exit the sector entirely after several years of service, primarily due to family responsibilities or societal pressures. This transition often occurs at a critical career juncture when women are accumulating the essential experience needed for advancement to senior positions. The lack of structured programs supporting marine staff to transition back to seas or alternative progression pathways further compounds this challenge, effectively creating a permanent career ceiling for many women in maritime operations.
Many vessels lack proper medical support for women employees, particularly in addressing women-specific health care needs. This includes the absence of appropriate facilities or supplies, such as feminine hygiene products, which can make long-term seagoing careers challenging and less sustainable for women. 

Unlike many other industries where lateral moves can facilitate advancement, maritime careers often follow strictly defined progression routes with limited flexibility. This rigidity particularly disadvantages women who may need to temporarily step back from operational roles or seek alternative routes to leadership positions. The situation is exacerbated by a lack of formalized cross-training programs that could enable women to build diverse skill sets while maintaining career momentum. Table 6.7 presents some of the interventions to address barriers to women’s retention and career progression in the maritime sector, along with their corresponding indicators. 
 

Women in maritime leadership positions remain a rarity in emerging economies, especially as ship captains and port operations managers. Even when they do ascend to these positions, they contend with persistent resistance rooted in the sector’s biases toward women. In these traditionally male-dominated command structures, female leaders face subtle but constant challenges to their authority. Female ship captains often find their technical decisions subjected to extra scrutiny by subordinates, a pattern rarely seen with male counterparts, while women port managers must repeatedly prove competencies that are assumed in male leaders.

This continuous need to validate their expertise creates a significant psychological burden. These challenges not only affect current female leaders but also discourage women from pursuing leadership roles, perpetuating the cycle of underrepresentation in maritime leadership.

The traditional pathway to senior positions typically requires extensive operational experience, often including mandatory sea time and specific technical certifications. However, women face disproportionate challenges in accumulating this experience due to limited access to seagoing opportunities, bias in technical role assignments, and interruptions in career progression due to family responsibilities. 

Women in maritime leadership positions must navigate the dual challenges of demonstrating technical competence in a male-dominated field while also exhibiting leadership capabilities. This dual burden often results in women being held to higher standards than their male counterparts. For instance, female technical directors in port authorities frequently report needing to possess both superior technical credentials and exceptional management skills to be considered for positions, while male candidates might advance based primarily on technical expertise. Table 6. 8 highlights some interventions.

Despite emerging opportunities in the ports, shipping, and inland waterways sectors, such as operating electric vessels, growing passenger and cruise ships, and greater automation in seaports, women encounter numerous challenges, including limited access to capital, training, and networks. 

Women can participate in sea trade either as merchandise traders or as suppliers of goods and services for sea-based trade, especially as suppliers to large ocean liners. 

Women face limited access to business skills training. The scarcity of trainings on trade processes, particularly digital trade facilitation mechanisms, creates barriers to entry. Furthermore, there is a notable lack of certification and training programs on providing logistics services, freight forwarding, clearances and maritime trading designed especially for women. This deficiency in targeted skill development opportunities significantly hinders women’s career progression and advancement in the field. Women traders also face challenges related to regulatory compliances, quality testing requirements, and clearance processes. 

International, sea-based trade often requires a much higher level of compliances vs. land-based trade. Moreover, the products that women traders often engage in trading, such as processed foods or textiles, have very specific testing requirements, such that only a few testing agencies in emerging economies may exist for quality certification in line with standards in developed countries. These testing requirements also entail high costs, which make engaging in sea-based trade harder for women traders. A knowledge of requisite compliances, coping with newly digitized customs clearance software, and ensuring duly filled paperwork for the shipment can also be barriers for women traders, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Table 6.9 highlights some interventions to address these constraints. 

Financial barriers are particularly pronounced if women try to enter merchandise trade. Merchandise traders often have high working capital loan requirements so that they get their complete shipments (going into multiple container loads) cleared by port authorities, even if they do not have a buyer lined up for the entire shipment. Women find it harder to secure these working capital loans owing to enduring stereotypes, especially in the formal banking sector. Table 6.10 highlights some of the key interventions to address these constraints women face, and the earlier case study on the Assam Inland Water Transport Project highlights the importance of affordable financing for women entrepreneurs to start their businesses in the maritime sector.

Additionally, market access and networking challenges prevent women from tapping into business opportunities. Women entrepreneurs are often smaller and lack networks to enter contracts for becoming suppliers of specific goods and services for ocean liners and shipping companies. Table 6.11 highlights some of the key interventions to address these constraints women face.