Women make up around 2% of the global seafarer workforce, and for many, life at sea was built without them in mind — from safety equipment and facilities designed for someone else, to isolation onboard, uneven routes to progression, and real concerns about safety and harassment.

The cruise and passenger sector accounts for most women at sea — by CLIA’s estimate, around 94% of all women seafarers work in the cruise industry — while very few are found on commercial vessels. Cruise has also gone furthest on progression: roughly half of women in the cruise sector hold mid-level positions or higher. But concentration isn’t the same as inclusion, and the practical challenges around safety, facilities, and fair treatment don’t disappear on a passenger ship.

This live session brings together three perspectives — vessel assurance, seafarer welfare, and financial wellbeing — to move past awareness and toward action. Our panel will talk through what actually makes a difference, onboard and ashore: the operational and cultural changes that help women feel safe, included, and able to build a long career at sea; the welfare support available to seafarers and their families; and the role that fair, reliable access to pay plays in wellbeing for everyone at sea.

You’ll leave with concrete steps you can apply across your own fleet and teams, whatever your role in the industry.