If God Had Wanted You to Go to Sea …’ Experiences of Women Seafarers

What is it about?

The cargo shipping industry constitutes a gendered (male) occupation par excellence with a traditionally strong masculine occupational culture. Another prominent feature of this global industry is its ethnically segmented labour market. The ‘racial’ divide of the workforce intersects with gender and other axes of difference. Drawing on the author’s own ethnographic data as well as on a comprehensive review of existing research on the field, the chapter gives an overview of the issues faced by women working in the sector as well as their ways of coping with those issues. Gendered workplace interactions at sea often refer to a misogynistic discourse deeply rooted in the traditionally masculine culture of the industry, attempting to symbolically exclude women from the occupational group. Drawing on Kate Manne’s theory of the ‘logic of misogyny’, the author interprets those interactional practices as attempts by men to defend the gendered identity of the occupational group against the intrusion of women.

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Why is it important?

This article is important because it sheds light on one of the least visible, but most pressing, social challenges in the global cargo shipping industry: the experience of women working in a highly male-dominated and ethnically segmented occupational culture. While the shipping industry is essential for international trade and the global economy, the human and social dimensions of maritime work often remain overlooked. In particular, the voices and experiences of women seafarers are still rarely heard in either industry discussions or academic literature. The importance of this work extends beyond academia. For policymakers, ship management companies, and maritime training institutions, the findings underline the urgent need for strategies that go beyond formal equality measures and address the deep-rooted cultural patterns that continue to marginalize women at sea. For women considering careers in shipping, the article gives visibility to their challenges and strategies of coping, affirming that their experiences matter. More broadly, it contributes to global debates on gender, work, and power by showing how intersectional inequalities play out in one of the world’s most critical, yet socially under-researched, industries.