Eleven leading maritime companies will use one pilot vessel each as part of the All Aboard Alliance Diversity@Sea pilot to test a variety of real-life measures to improve working conditions for seafarers.

The 11 participating companies have committed to meeting a series of minimum requirements onboard one pilot vessel within their fleet.

These include having a minimum of four women onboard (a high number in an industry with less than 2% women), providing appropriate conditions for menstrual needs, providing 24/7 wi-fi for crew members, and ensuring that all seaborne staff have access to inclusive personal protective equipment.

The pilot vessels will set sail when these minimum requirements are met, with the first six scheduled to set sail no later than 1st November.

The participating companies are Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, BP Shipping, Cargill, Chevron Shipping, Diana Shipping, Dorian LPG, Gaslog, Hafnia, Stena (Northern Marine Group), Synergy, and Swire Shipping.

One of the participating vessels is Synergy’s Southern Reverence, which is scheduled to depart Singapore on 30th October helmed by Captain Radhika Menon, the first woman to become a captain in the Indian Merchant Navy.

The pilot measures will explore different approaches to improving work-life balance for everyone at sea and will implement ambitious protocols for ensuring a work environment free from bullying, abuse and harassment.

"Today's launch of the Diversity@Sea pilot is a true testament to the proactive stance taken by the All Aboard Alliance and several member companies in tackling these issues head-on. With 11 companies at the helm, we are laying the foundation for a maritime industry that is better equipped to meet the demands of tomorrow," said Mikael Skov, Co-Chair of the All Aboard Alliance and CEO of Hafnia.

The Diversity@Sea pilot is the result of an ambitious collaboration between All Aboard Alliance member companies that are exploring how to make life at sea more inclusive and attractive to both men and women at sea.

In the first part of the Diversity@Sea project, 115 interviews with seafarers helped identify '15 Key Pain Points for Women at Sea', which was published earlier this year.

Following this, leaders, seafarers, and experts from the involved companies worked together to codesign concrete measures to address these pain points.

"We embarked on this journey with a clear mission: to make life at sea more inclusive and appealing to seafarers of all backgrounds," said Susanne Justesen, Programme Director, Global Maritime Forum.

"Following the publication of the '15 Key Pain Points for Women at Sea' report, we transformed more than 40 ideas into concrete measures and solutions, which became the Diversity@Sea pilot.

The pilot project seeks to test these chosen measures and proposed solutions aboard select vessels. We aim to gain practical insights into what constitutes an attractive and inclusive maritime career at sea and collectively take action to drive the necessary changes."

To track the progress of the participating companies towards the stated goals of the pilot, the Global Maritime Forum will gather and assess data from crew members onboard the pilot vessels in partnership with independent maritime data analysis firm PsyFyi.

Comparative analysis with non-participating vessels will offer insights into the effectiveness of these measures.

"Our launch today signifies the commitment and determination of maritime heavyweights to drive transformative change and ultimately establish a future in which respect, dignity, and inclusivity are cornerstones throughout the entire supply chain,” said Justesen.

ENDS

For media inquiries, please contact:

Molly P. Hannon, Senior Communications Manager

Email: mph@globalmmaritimeforum.org

Mobile: + 45 53 76 67 87

About the All Aboard Alliance:

Established in 2022, the All Aboard Alliance is a cross-industry initiative designed around a diversity, equity, and inclusion framework and a collaborative drive to make the maritime industry more

sustainable, progressive, welcoming, and innovative. As of September 2023, the All Aboard Alliance consists of 36 member companies, including some of the most prominent names in shipping.

About the Global Maritime Forum:

The Global Maritime Forum is an international not-for-profit organisation working to create a decarbonised maritime industry that supports sustainable long-term economic development while being committed to human welfare and dignity. Established in 2017, the Forum is funded through a combination of grants and partner contributions but operates independently of any outside influence and does not support individual companies. Most of its roughly 50-person staff is based in the organisation's headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark.