"Women Seafarers: Global employment policies and practices" * is a new ILO study which focusses on contemporary women seafarers at a global level.

The book covers every aspect of a woman seafarer's life - from employment rights to maternity rights. It finds that though making inroads on the sea lanes, women seafarers face not only the general challenges of weather, hard work and rough seas, but also inordinate amounts of discrimination, sexual harassment and parental disapproval as well as often being relegated low-paying jobs with limited opportunities for promotion.

"In the past 50 years women have come to be employed in steadily increasing numbers aboard the world's merchant ships and cruise liners," says Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, Director of the ILO Sectoral Activities Department. "If this study helps improve the conditions of work of even a few women, it will be a success. We, of course, hope it will lead to greater participation - and better quality jobs - for women at sea and in the maritime industry as a whole."

According to some of the women interviewed for the study, those days of balmy working conditions may be some time off.Women seafarers reported comments like their place being "in the kitchen" rather than on deck, that women weren't suited for the sea because they "all argue with each other" (as if men don't!), being told "blonde jokes" or given the worst, dirtiest jobs.

"The lads I was sailing with spent about four months doing those awful jobs, and then they were up on the bridge in a clean environment," said one woman who spoke about being tested to see if she had the "right stuff" for the job. They will push a woman a lot, lot harder."

Some women reported taking drastic measures to avoid being harassed, including altering or "de-feminizing" their appearance (one woman engineer actually shaved her head!). Another cited how she had to punch a chief officer to get him out of her room.

So, why pursue a potentially hostile and turbulent life at sea? Women have long worked on passenger and cruise ships, and since 1945, have appeared more and more on freighters and other commercial ships. For some, potential earnings, for others tradition inspires work at sea.

   * Women Seafarers - Global Employment policies and practices,
   International Labour Office, 2003, ISBN 92-2-113491-1.