“It certainly wouldn’t be acceptable now, but it was a man’s world at sea in those days, so I just had to put up with it.”
50 years ago young women officers embarking on a career with P&O, were politely required to disembark at 40 (when the British Shipping Federation considered them no longer useful, or attractive, at sea). They left without a fuss, or a pension, but for many it was the end of a life, and a career, they loved...
Today, the number of women seafarers is still surprisingly low, particularly at the highest ranks where just 4% of ‘Certified Officers’ are female. But, the education and opportunities for girls and women to succeed at sea are now available and the myths, sexism and superstition of the past, have no place in our present.
Thanks to a long list of legislative measures, a growing desire for diversity and excellence in our industry, and some powerful and pioneering women seafarers, we can look forward to many more women on the waves.
Let's meet some now...
