Why women are afraid to go to sea -Master Mariners.

Segun Oladipupo

Fear of pirates attacks, intimidation and sexual harassment by their male counterparts are the combined reasons why we have almost negligible number of women going to seafaring.

The National President of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), Captain Tajudeen Alao made this claims yesterday at the 2019 edition of Seafarers day celebration organised by the group in Lagos.

He flayed the late campaign of Nigeria for gender equality and women participation in seafaring, adding that Ghana was ahead of the country in this regards when it commenced similar campaign since 1975.

“Over thirty years after Ghana started gender equality campaign on Board vessels, Nigeria commenced same campaign for women participation in seafaring and maritime businesses”the master mariner noted.

Captain Alao said that Ghana began the campaign in 1975 and most of the female seafarers now work with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as lecturers.

He added that some of the female Ghanaian seafarers are parts of the lecturers teaching Nigerians today.

He added that fear of pirates attacks and lack of pension constituted why Nigerian women refuse to take up professions in seafaring.

“Ghana started in 1975 and we are starting about 30years after. We have Ghanaians who are in IMO, some of them are lecturers coming to teach us and all that.

“We cannot bridge that gap and it was because of the fear that they filled our women and girls that has made them to refuse going to sea”

NAMM also called on the Federal Government and stakeholders to create an enabling atmosphere for women to have full participation in seafaring and maritime businesses.

When asked what the association is doing in that regard to create comfortable atmosphere for women to participate in seafaring, he stressed that the association is putting structures in place before pushing for regulations that will provide comfortable atmosphere for the women.

“The atmosphere must be conducive on board for women to be on board. We are not happy that our children are not taking over from us in this job but before now the Nigerian National Shipping Lines was there all of a sudden it went off”

“Thank God for this government that is trying to pay them pension ,how would you encourage your child to do that when you are not happy with that”

“We are not employers of labour but adavocacy group and we want to put structures on ground first before we talk about regulations.
Whether they give you platform or not come and take it ,is your right,” he admonished.

Alao said one of the major reasons why women run away from taking up seafaring profession is pirates attacks.

“It takes a strong woman to be on board the ship because we have a lot of challenge. We have the pirates attacking the ship and all that. Some of them will have to run inside the engine room to save their lives,” he stated.