Shipping industry concern mounts over bullying and sexual harassment

Harassment remains a widespread problem in shipping, ministers and campaigners have warned, more than a year after a highly publicised sexual assault case highlighted problems facing an industry that underpins global trade.

The government in Denmark, a country that is home to many of the world’s oldest shipping companies, has criticised “unacceptable” levels of harassment, as it published a report that found a sixth of the 3,500 seafarers polled had witnessed incidents of bullying or sexual harassment on Danish ships over a 12-month period.

Morten Bødskov, Denmark’s business minister, said earlier this month the findings were “completely unacceptable” and he was “surprised by the extent” of the incidents. 

Bødskov called on the industry to address the issue “immediately”, adding that “more must be done to ensure that seafarers on board Danish ships don’t have to fear harassment and bullying”.

The report comes alongside warnings from other governments, as well as activist groups, that the industry is yet to clean up its act. The issue risks impeding efforts to attract more women into a traditionally male-dominated industry, deepening concerns that shipowners will struggle to find enough workers to meet demand.

Women make up just 1.2 per cent of the 1.89mn seafarers globally, according to a 2021 report by industry bodies Bimco and the International Chamber of Shipping. At the same time, shipowners have struggled with a staff shortage, with an additional 89,510 officers needed between 2021 and 2026, according to the report.

A 2019 poll published by Maritime SheEo, which supports female workers from its headquarters in India, one of the world’s main suppliers of seafarers, found only a third of women on ships said they had a good experience. Some 12 per cent of those who moved to jobs on land said they had done so because of physical or mental harassment.

Sanjam Gupta, founder of Maritime SheEo and director of Indian logistics group Sitara Shipping, said the industry remained overshadowed by a “patriarchal mindset”. “Some think the ship is not a place for a woman,” she added.

Jerome Pampolina, an assistant secretary in the Philippines’ overseas workers department, which recently conducted a study into the experiences of female seafarers, also said that sexual harassment was found to be an ongoing issue.

In response to the report published by the government in Copenhagen, trade body Danish Shipping accepted there were “serious challenges” on Danish-flagged ships. It said it took the results “very seriously” and the issue had already “moved to the top of the agenda”.

But the latest warnings follow hopes that the industry would improve after allegations, made in 2021, of sexual assault on board a vessel run by the US business of Danish group AP Møller-Maersk that shook the industry.

When the subsidiary of the world’s second-biggest container shipping company was sued over the incident last year, it was seen as a wake-up call for shipping lines.

After Covid-19 lockdowns and the Ukraine war left many trapped on stranded vessels for months, industry leaders are concerned that the exposure of widespread harassment and bullying could further affect the appeal of seafaring, a notoriously low-paid profession.

Authorities and shipping lines are trying to raise the industry’s appeal to women.

Pampolina said the Philippines, which is home to the largest share of the world’s seafarers, was hoping to introduce “gender sensitivity” training for all Filipino shipworkers within the coming year.

This follows a similar move by India’s directorate general of shipping, which last year set out draft plans for mandatory education on sexism, in “view of the continued complaints of improper behaviour”.

Amalie Grevsen, Maersk’s recently recruited head of marine culture, said the company continued to receive complaints from workers but is also seeking to tackle the issue.

Its US business reached a settlement last November with the former Maersk midshipman who initiated legal action in New York, although both parties declined to reveal the terms.

Grevsen said Maersk had opened a hotline to report complaints, with a dedicated team to handle issues, while also introducing anti-sexual harassment training for staff.

“It’s a long stretch but we are eager to change the work culture,” she said.