A.P. Moller-Maersk has announced a major milestone in its ‘Equal At Sea’ initiative in India. In 2024, women now make up 45% of the Nautical and Engineering cadets onboarded, bringing the company closer to its goal of equal gender representation among cadet intakes by 2027.
Launched in 2022, the ‘Equal At Sea’ initiative is now in its third year and has seen impressive success in India. The programme aims to promote gender equality among Maersk seafarers, addressing the historical underrepresentation of women in the maritime sector, while fostering a more diverse ecosystem across the Indian maritime industry.
The programme aims to bring together key industry stakeholders on a common platform to share ideas, tackle challenges, and adopt best practices.
The “Equal At Sea” conference in Mumbai gathered maritime leaders to discuss gender diversity and inclusion, with Danish Ambassador to India, Freddy Svane, in attendance.
“The seas know no gender. By championing diversity in maritime careers, Maersk is not only steering toward equality but also charting a course for innovation and growth in the shipping industry. Denmark and India, as maritime nations, must lead this tide of change,” stated Freddy Svane, ambassador of Denmark to India.
He added, “This industry-wide effort to create more opportunities for women in maritime careers will undoubtedly strengthen our global shipping community and drive progress and sustainability in the years to come.”
The event featured three major segments: ‘Sustainable Equality: Going Beyond the Onboarding,’ which tackled workplace culture and harassment through interactive discussions; ‘Sea-side Chat – Not All Ceilings Are Made of Glass,’ a celebration of trailblazing women in male-dominated fields; and an insightful panel on ‘All Women on Board: Myth or Reality?’
In India, the number of women seafarers has increased significantly, surpassing 350, up from just 41 in 2021. This boost in representation is a major step towards improving gender diversity among Maersk’s Indian seafarer population. In the Nautical and Engineering streams, women now represent 45% of the intake, with the Nautical division already exceeding 50%.
Additionally, Maersk’s Women Rating Programme, launched in 2023 as part of ‘Equal At Sea,’ began with 22 women trainees. Due to its success, the programme has now expanded to include two more batches, bringing the total to 70 women currently in training.
The success of ‘Equal At Sea’ in India has contributed to Maersk’s global gender diversity progress, with the number of women seafarers in its fleet growing from 295 in 2021 to over 650 in 2024. The percentage of women in Maersk’s global seafarer pool has also risen, from 2.3% in 2022 to 5.5% in 2024.
