Rights

A sense of allyship is essential for all seafarers; however, one group for whom allyship can be particularly valuable is women seafarers who, especially on merchant vessels, regularly experience being the only woman on their vessel or team. More than any other group, women seafarers report experiencing harmful onboard behaviours including abuse, bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence (ABHDV) – including sexual violence. They are often treated as less knowledgeable or competent than they are, passed over or ignored for opportunities they have earned, and subjected to inappropriate remarks and attempts at humour that can leave them feeling excluded or uncomfortable.

ISWAN has produced a resource for seafarers on allyship to provide information and guidance on the actions that seafarers can take – both small and large – to directly support each other and promote fairness and equity at sea. This companion resource explores the steps that maritime stakeholders can take to foster a culture of allyship and thereby help to make the maritime sector a safe and inclusive space for all.

There are two versions available for download, one for seafarers and the other for maritime stakeholders. Use the drop-down menu shown right to select.

The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC), otherwise known as the Seafarers’ Bill of Rights, incorporates and builds on sixty eight existing maritime labour conventions and recommendations, as well as more general fundamental principles, to ensure decent working and living conditions for all seafarers.