On International Women in Maritime Day, TradeWinds asked women from across the industry for real-world perspectives on change.

Zoe Upson
Director of recruitment agency Freight & Commodity Talent

“With so much room for improvement, it is hard to limit this to just one thing! However, flexibility is the key point here. For example, successfully accommodating women who want to start a family at some stage of their career and removing the stigma around this.

“This could mean embracing remote working (without cutting pay), improving maternity packages, differentiating between competence and confidence, and rewarding it appropriately with salaries and promotions.

“In short, celebrating the different ways in which men and women work — each being individually valuable and creating a culture that’s inclusive and supportive for all. By focusing on output instead of input, we could level the playing field and bring down barriers to make shipping a more appealing industry to women in the first place.”