India needs to attract more women into shipping industry: Amitabh Kumar

Need to attract more women into shipping industry: Amitabh Kumar
17/09/2019 https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/need-to-attract-more-women-into-shi...

India should look at attracting more women to join the shipping industry, Amitabh Kumar, Director General of Shipping, has said.

“In the 1990s, women’s participation in employment was 40 per cent which in 2017 went down to 26 per cent and is further decreasing. If the work force is diverse with women, overall productivity of the company increases. There is a need to attract more women into the shipping industry. Globally, around 2 per cent women are in the maritime industry and in India it is less than 1 per cent,” he said at a conference organised by SHM Shipcare.

“On the occasion of World Maritime Day, our first strategy should be to encourage women to join the maritime industry. Then manage to get them to training institutes and retain them by providing on-the-job training. Going further, the seafarers should be supported during breaks in their career like maternity, by providing them with alternative career options like ship managers, lawyers or recruiters,” he said.

“By organising this event, we are celebrating women in maritime. Empowering women fuels thriving economies across the world, spurs growth and development and benefits everyone working in the global maritime community in the drive towards safe, secure, clean and sustainable shipping. 20 per cent of our workforce is women,” said Saifuddin H Hajee, Chairman, SHM Group of Companies.
Source: The Hindu Business Line