The maritime sector has evolved beyond being a traditionally male-dominated industry as it has, over the years, pushed for gender diversity to attract and bolster women's participation.

Sue Ann Gan, a Singapore-based maritime law partner at the international law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, said she has seen more women join the shipping industry in the last 20 years, and ongoing efforts from individual companies and the maritime sector as a whole will further improve female representation in the industry moving forward.

“My career in maritime has been nothing but rewarding,” Gan told Asia Cargo News in an interview as the shipping sector marked the International Day for Women in Maritime on May 18.

“I have learned that as a woman in maritime, I can play a part in inspiring inclusion so that our daughters can come from an even better future.”

“So much has progressed since I entered the industry about 20 years ago. Today, I can see that the industry has really evolved beyond the traditional male-dominated industry,” she said.

Gan’s current work focuses on maritime law, advising financial institutions and owners on a wide range of shipping work across all asset classes, including financing and restructuring matters.

She also regularly conducts due diligence exercises and advises stakeholders on bankability, risk and liability issues related to shipping projects. She told Asia Cargo News that moves to push for women’s inclusion in the maritime sector are “being driven at the top level” by trade associations and government bodies.

“For instance, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has various initiatives that advance gender equality and empower women in maritime,” she said.

In Singapore, Gan added that the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and Women's International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) have also been promoting gender diversity by hosting sessions that spotlight women’s significant contributions to the maritime industry.

“It was also great to see strong female leadership in the maritime industry during the height of Covid-19, where the government, the industry and the union played an important role in the fight against the global pandemic,” Gan further said, adding that the maritime industry continues to advance diversity, inclusion and talent efforts through various mediums.

She said that the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) dedicated a whole day at the recent Singapore Maritime Week to manpower and talent, showing a range of diverse opportunities for a maritime career.

“Closer to my heart would be an initiative led by the SSA. In the past, talks were held on educational topics relating to shipping. I am proud to have pushed beyond this to focus more on diversity,” Gan, whose entire family is involved in the maritime industry, added.

She further said that the various channels promoting diversity and inclusion within the maritime sector all add to the pace of change within the sector. While strides have been made to promote women's inclusion in the maritime industry, Gan also acknowledged that other women in shipping might still face challenges.

“The challenges are less apparent for individuals engaged in onshore work like myself, though they are likely more pronounced for female crew members, for example,” she partner said.

“Personally, I have been fortunate not to encounter many gender stereotypes in my role, and I attribute this to Singapore being a merit-based society, where individuals are evaluated based on their abilities rather than defined by their gender.”

Nonetheless, Gan noted that there are “many opportunities” for women in shipping.

“Seeing the opportunity requires an open mindset. Moments of real change can appear at the least expected time. Being a woman provides us with the chance to enhance representation within the industry, with each individual contributing in their own small way,” she told Asia Cargo News.

According to the 2021 IMO-WISTA Women in Maritime Survey Report, women account for only 29% of the general industry's workforce and 20% of the workforce of national maritime authorities in IMO member states.

“These statistics can be improved,” Gan said. “My view is that female representation will definitely be improved over the next few years, especially with more ground-up efforts by organizations such as Singapore Maritime Foundation and Maritime playing an important part in attracting talent to the industry.”

“The role of women in the maritime industry (or any industry for that matter) cannot be understated. Diversity and inclusion are important factors to ensuring success within organizations,” she added.

“In the maritime industry, I certainly expect to see more female leaders in the future. This is a result of several factors, such as ground-up initiatives and many organizations now placing greater emphasis on ESG principles (ensuring diversity and inclusion KPIs and measurements),” Gan said.

By Charlee C. Delavin
Asia Cargo News | Hong Kong