WISTA International, Anglo Eastern, International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) and International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have conducted an on-line survey within the maritime sector from which information is emerging at dir. shocking about gender discrimination against women who work on board ships, harassment on board and the acts of bullying that they suffer.

The results of the report "The Diversity Handbook" to be presented at the WISTA International Conference, which will be held next Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland, attended by 1,128 sea women from 78 Countries, including mainly from the Philippines (399), United States (98), United Kingdom (57), South Africa (51), Brazil (47), India (41), Peru (36), Colombia (35) and Indonesia (35). The survey found that 60% percent of women reported that they had experienced gender discrimination on board ; 66% percent of the respondents agreed that their male colleagues had harassed and threatened colleges and 25% percent reported that in the maritime sector physical and sexual harassment are customary, occur on board and involve violations of privacy. Most of the interviewees, about 90% percent, work on cruise ships, the others on merchant ships.

13% of women claimed that they were approached offensively in a number of ways, while the majority of 70% claimed that it was their male colleagues who carried out such harassment on board. The survey highlighted that the vast majority of those who commit such crimes are seafood (88%), while other cases (11%) involve both men and women colleges and only about 1% percent are only about women. Only 13% percent of the respondents reported the harassment they suffered.

"There is," said Sanjam Sahi Gupta, founder of WISTA India and co-chair of the WISTA International Diversity Committee, commenting on the findings of the report-an urgent need to create a more diverse, inclusive maritime community and fair, with seafood women who deserve a respectful and safe working environment. The recent report revealed unacceptable figures, with women on board the ships suffering from gender discrimination, harassment and bullying. The shipping industry is at risk for a lack of staff, " said Sahi Gupta. In the next decade there will probably be an even greater need for skilled seafarers. One of the best and most effective strategies to stop the growing disparity is the adoption of inclusive gender policies within a safe working culture. "