More local shipping companies are signing up to the Danish Shipping-led charter to get more women involved in the industry.
The charter started with 13 companies signing up when it launched on January 23 this year. The movement that obliges signatories to actively focus on gender equality now has 24 companies signed up who represent 75% of the total number of employees within Danish Shipping’s membership.
Anne Windfeldt Trolle, executive director covering employment conditions, recruitment and training for Danish Shipping, told Splash: “The number of women in shipping is embarrassingly low, standing at just 14% of all employees. Every industry in Denmark is fighting for labour and the right talents, and if we don’t look into the female pool we will miss half of the talent mass.”
Signatories to the charter are already implementing action plans to support their targets, including having courses for all employees in unconscious biases, sending out women in pairs onboard ships so they are not the only woman onboard, changing application procedures, and providing young women mentors.
“There is a very strong interest in this subject and I think that changes need to come from inside the industry and from the men in the top management as well – and that is what we are experiencing right now,” Trolle said.
Nice to have a charter but even better to actively implement it which remains to be seen … As per today’s opinion article too often the best man for the job is a white male, diversity of experience, array of skills, creativity, drive women candidates may have all and still never sufficient … however demonstrated that companies having women in their executive management and / or board are more successful and profitable, white males keep recruiting other white males and signing charters…
Diversity and gender equality are not the same thing that