Women Are an Indispensable Part of the Maritime Workforce and Make Significant Contributions to Search and Rescue Operations

On December 4, 2019, the IMO General Assembly adopted Resolution A.1170(32) at its 32nd session, officially declaring May 18 as International Day for Women in Maritime. This year marks the first time the International Day for Women in Maritime is being celebrated widely around the world. This special occasion aims to honor, affirm, and elevate the position of women in the maritime workforce, promote recruitment and sustainable employment for women, and reaffirm the IMO’s commitment to the 2019 Gender Equality Objective, while addressing the current gender imbalance in the industry.

Logo: "Symbol of Women in Maritime"

The idea for the "Symbol of Women in Maritime" logo originated from the integration of the female gender symbol with the iconic maritime anchor symbol.

According to IMO, women make up only 1.2% of the global seafaring workforce. Based on the 2021 Seafarer Workforce Report by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and Baltic International Maritime Council (BIMCO), it is estimated that there are 24,059 female seafarers worldwide, a 45.8% increase compared to the 2015 report. The initiative to establish the International Day for Women in Maritime was first proposed by the IMO’s Technical Cooperation Committee (TCC) in September 2021, in response to the 2019 World Maritime Day theme "Empowering Women in the Maritime Community." This proposal received widespread support and called for the creation of a barrier-free environment for women to fully, safely, and unrestrictedly participate in maritime activities, including seafaring and shipbuilding. Since 2022, May 18 has officially been recognized as International Day for Women in Maritime.

The increasing number of women in the workforce is a positive signal for the global maritime industry in general and for Vietnam in particular. Traditionally, seafaring has been considered a male-only profession, as it involves long periods away from home, working in harsh environments, and facing numerous hardships and challenges.

Vietnam’s proud 4,000-year history of nation-building and defense has fostered the admirable qualities of its women: "heroic – indomitable – loyal – capable." In the era of integration and development, Vietnamese women continue to learn, enrich their intellect, and demonstrate dynamism and creativity, making important contributions to women's progress, gender equality, and the country's industrialization and modernization, as President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: "The beautiful landscape of Vietnam is embroidered by the hard work of our women, both young and old, making it more colorful and glorious."

The maritime history is also filled with stories of great sailing ships, tirelessly navigating the world’s vast oceans, operated by brave and masculine sailors. Sailing ships of the 19th century may have been a male-dominated world, but women were certainly part of this rich history.

Female Staff at the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center

For various reasons, over the centuries, women have stepped beyond traditional roles and defied societal definitions of what femininity should be. These reasons include responding to maritime emergencies, patriotic duty during wartime, economic necessity, the desire for a better life, the pursuit of adventure, devotion, and love. This is why today, women not only perform regular, gentle duties but also know how to balance family responsibilities with professional missions.

Currently, at the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center, women make up 24.78% of the staff, with 2.6% holding key positions in specialized departments compared to the total number of personnel at the Center. In addition, many of these women have husbands and fathers who serve as seafarers on search and rescue vessels, ready to accept any tasks and responsibilities assigned to them, and trusted by the people. This trust, dedication, strength, and love for the profession characterize the female staff working in search and rescue today./.