By: Erick H.-Saia, Director of Safety & Loss Control, Greenwich Terminals LLC
18 May 2022 was the day the International Maritime Organization (IMO) launched the inaugural observation of International Day for Women in Maritime, and focused on the theme “Training-Visibility-Recognition: Supporting a barrier-free working environment.” (1)
Supporting the growth and advancement of women in our community has continued with expanding IMO partnerships to include other groups of Leaders including the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA).
Earlier this year the IMO announced in Circular Letter No. 4978 on 13 March the Inaugural “Maritime Women’s Leadership and Empowerment” training course sponsored in partnership by the IMO and WISTA, and delivered by the World Maritime University (WMU). (2) The course’s objective is to equip mid-career women in the maritime industry with high-level leadership and strategic management skills so they may move into decision-making roles. It is designed for women in the public sector of maritime domains, including maritime administrations, port authorities, coastguards, and maritime education and training institutions. Further, women in the private sector in developing countries who are WISTA International Members may also be able to participate through the granting of fellowships. (2)
In 2025 the IMO again marked this year’s International Day for Women in Maritime, and held a Symposium on 16 May themed “An Ocean of Opportunities for Women” to celebrate its annual event. (3)
Present day advocacy for women in our industry is essential, but the strength and resolve of women in maritime reaches farther back than many appreciate. Some examples include:
- Late 2nd or early 3rd century CE two women presented a dedicatory inscription to the Greek goddess Leto wherein they referred to themselves as ship owners and merchants from the Red Sea.
- Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt evidence, along with Roman law set forth, that women both owned ships and actively participated in trade.
- Continued research into available resources indicate that women also acted as Agents in charge of trade and cargo.
- A grain receipt from late 2nd / early 3rd century CE lists Sarapias as the owner of a ship alongside her brother as its Captain or Helmsman. The receipt indicates her brother sailed the boat down the Nile, but she was responsible for arranging the cargo of wheat to be loaded and transported.
- Continued research into available resources indicate that women also acted as Agents in charge of trade and cargo.
- Imperial Roman Law includes women as Agents in trade and shipping, including Emperor Claudius introducing legislation that a woman would gain privileges granted to a mother of four children if she both owned a boat of a large enough size, and used it to import grain to the City for 6 years. (4)
The talent and drive of women in maritime continued into American history where we are reminded of their courage and leadership:
- Eleanor Creesy was an American navigator who set a world sailing record in 1851 alongside her husband, Capt. Josiah Perkins, when they sailed the clipper ship Flying Cloud from New York to San Francisco in 89 days / 21 hrs which beat the prior record by an entire week using the latest wind and current charts from Matthew Fontaine Maury of the U.S. Navy. She and her husband later beat their own record in 1854 when she again navigated from New York to San Francisco in 89 days / 8 hrs.
- Mary Patten took temporary command of a clipper ship in July 1856 that departed New York City en route to San Francisco. While rounding Cape Horn her husband, Capt. Joshua Patten, became ill and lost his hearing and eyesight. Nineteen and pregnant with their son she took command of the ship having been taught how to navigate by her Husband on previous voyages. Throughout the voyage she both navigated the ship and cared for her sick husband until November 1856 when she successfully arrived in San Francisco. The vessel’s insurers later gave her a reward for her actions in saving the crew, cargo and vessel.
- Eliza Thorrold continued operating a 44-ft steam tugboat, Ethel and Marion, in San Francisco Bay several years after her husband, Capt. Charles Thorrold, died from blood poisoning in 1893. She was later quoted in 1897 as saying, “…my circumstances compel me to be the master of my own boat.” (5)
In the 20th Century our world suffered through World Wars I and II, and again women stepped up to keep both our industry and our Nation strong. By 1943 women were approximately 65% of the shipyard workforce on the West Coast, and their compensation was up to 40% higher when compared to other industrial production jobs considered services (teachers, nurses, secretaries, etc.). Although women were not afforded leadership roles such as foremen or supervisors, they did continue to see their work as a source of financial and social success leading to expanding opportunities for women of many backgrounds including African Americans, Asian and Latinas. Historian Susan M. Hartman was quoted as saying about the 1940’s that it “…laid the preconditions for an awakened womanhood in the 1960s.” (Marinship at War by Charles Wollenberg). (5)
Moving to modern history, a partnership between WISTA and the IMO published Women in Maritime Survey 2024: A report on the participation of women in the public and private maritime sector workforces. Important takeaways from this excellent survey include:
- Data covered 176,820 women working in maritime in 2024 which is up from 2021 at 151,979.
- From the workforce sampled women represent approximately 19% of the total workforce compared to 26% from 2021.
- Women are 19% of the workforce in national maritime authorities of Member States, and 16% in the private sector (not including seafarers). (6)
This survey’s data will be used to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (UN SDG 5): Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. (7)
Rightly so do we honor women in maritime each year in May, and it is hoped that this recognition and support continues into a daily practice throughout the year. As noted above there are organizations actively working to empower women in our industry, and although not exhaustive, following are examples of these groups and where to gain more information about them:
- IMO’s Women in Maritime: https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/technicalcooperation/pages/womeninmaritime.aspx
- A strategic approach towards enhancing the contribution of women as key maritime stakeholders, and to support the participation of women in both shore-based and sea-going posts.
- IMO-funded Djibouti Code of Conduct / Jeddah Amendment project: https://dcoc.org/women-in-maritime/
- Code of Conduct for the repression of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
- Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA): https://wistainternational.com/
- An international networking organization whose mission is to attract and support women, at the management level, in the maritime, trading and logistics sectors.
- Women In Maritime Operations: https://www.wimos.org/
- Dedicated to recruiting, retaining, advancing, and promoting women in the maritime industry through sharing knowledge and continuing education.
- Women in Maritime Community: https://womeninmaritimecommunity.com/
- To support and uplift women in the maritime industry by providing a platform for empowerment, leadership development, mentorship opportunities, networking events, and knowledge sharing.
- Maritime SheEO: https://maritimesheeo.com/
- To create the next generation of women leaders in maritime, and promote gender equality in maritime where women can thrive, lead and excel.
In our own safety community the National Maritime Safety Association (NMSA), and National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE), proudly honor the women that work within our own Associations each day to strengthen the maritime mission:
Susan Winfree: NMSA Board Member, and Vice President of Workforce Development and Corporate Diversity Officer for the Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey.
Stephanie Bishop: NMSA Board Member, and Vice President of Safety at SSA Marine.
Dr. Sharifa Batts, DBA, MBA: NMSA Technical Committee Member, and Vice President of ESG & Safety at Ports America.
Jennie Perez Silva: Technical Committee Member, and EHS Manager and Facility Security Officer at Puerto Rico Terminals.
Colleen Kennedy: NAWE Director of Marketing and Communications.
Heather Ordonez: NAWE Director of Finance and Member Services.
Jean Godwin: NAWE Senior Advisor
These leaders, and the many others who both contribute to the daily frontline safety of our Longshore Workers as well as actively participating in the activities of our industry, are a testament to the wisdom and guidance of women in maritime.
Let us continue to honor the women contributing each day to make our industry great and remain mindful that raising each other up should always be the foremost choice as we all move through this industry together.
The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not represent the opinions or endorsements of any organization or entity. Readers should use their own discretion and consider multiple sources of information when forming their own opinions or making decisions.
1 https://www.imo.org/en/About/Events/Pages/International-Day-for-Women-in-Maritime-2022.aspx
3 https://www.imo.org/en/About/Events/Pages/International-Day-for-Women-in-Maritime-2025.aspx
4 https://www.classicalstudies.org/merchant-matronae-women-ships-and-trade-hellenistic-and-roman-world
5 https://www.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/maritimewomenhistory.htm