5 minute read
Women in Maritime - Diversity by design
Diversity, equity and inclusion need to be designed into the maritime industry, Jillian Carson-Jackson writes
Yet again, the James Webb Space Telescope is presenting us with spectacular images of the universe. The images provide a view of the cosmos that offer new insights into how stars are formed. Looking at these images I am awed at the conscious effort that was taken to plan and design this six-tonne telescope as a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.
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To bring this project from concept to reality demonstrates focus, attention to detail and unwavering effort. It drives home the fact that conscious effort and planning can achieve amazing results, even when the goal you are looking to achieve may seem to be beyond the realm of possibility.
With the ongoing issues of sexual assault and sexual harassment and continued gender imbalance in the maritime industry, it may also seem that diversity, equity and inclusion goals are also beyond the realm of possibility. I believe we can achieve diversity through conscious effort, but it may mean we need to look at diversity by design rather than diversity by chance.
CONSCIOUS CONSIDERATION
We know diversity is good for the industry, yet the maritime industry is still struggling with diversity in positions afloat and ashore. We continue to see “first woman [insert maritime role]” notifications. Why? Perhaps we are not considering diversity, equity and inclusion at a conscious level, planning for diversity by design.
We can put a maritime industry filter over the four fundamental questions asked in any project design:
Where are we?
The industry has incredibly low representation of women in operational roles, with women representing just 2% of seafarers.
Where do we want to be?
We know we need diversity in the industry. We want to be an inclusive industry where we can grow and thrive with diverse views and where we can build resilience in challenging times. I recently made a call in The Nautical Institute for “2 to 20” and the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) Norway has launched a “40 by 30” pledge, striving towards 40% women in leading positions in the maritime industry by 2030.
How will we get there?
We can’t simply talk about diversity, equity and inclusion. This is likely the most difficult question to address. We must chart a course, put in place waypoints and monitor our progress. We need to navigate our way to where we want to be.
How will we know we have arrived?
Once we have clear vision of where we want to be and chart the course on how to get there, we will be able to monitor the route and know when we have arrived.
THREE TIPS FOR DESIGNING DIVERSITY INTO THE MARITIME INDUSTRY
There are many dimensions to designing for diversity, from how positions are advertised to company policies. Below are three tips that can help put you, and your organisation, on course.
1. Implement policies that support diversity, equity and inclusion
This is not simply a diversity policy, but a full review of all policies to integrate diversity. Doing a “find and replace” of gender-specific terms (for example, changing “his” to “their”) isn’t enough.
Every policy should be passed through a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion – from PPE to paternity leave options. Does the leave policy include support for couples in the event of a miscarriage, or transition leave for transgender personnel? Does the policy for hours of work include flexibility for the morning school run, or for primary caregivers of older family members?
2. Use inclusive language in advertising the role
Look at how you advertise positions – what language are you using? There are some known examples of gender coded words, as well as discriminatory language. There are many great resources out there, such as The Inclusion Hub and Culture Plus Zone online. Check out the table for examples of gender coded words – it suggests swapping words such as “competitive” and “aggressive” for alternative words such as “collaborative” and “dependable”.
Look at the wording of the job description that is associated with the application. Think about how the words may be interpreted. Is it specific to, for example, X-number of years’ experience? The chances of diversity groups having had an opportunity to meet that requirement may be limited, which means the applications you receive will not reflect the diversity group. It is simple to change the experience timeframe to “proven experience” and then include what is actually required to do the role.
3. Design diversity into the recruitment process
Once you get diverse candidates who apply, you need to include the diversity, equity and inclusion approach for the recruitment process. Blind resumes are a great way to start! Cover over all personal information on a resume such as the name (which may have a gender focus), gender, date of birth, nationality and so on.
Review the screening factors, based on the revised job descriptions. Focus on screening for the competences of the actual job, not what has traditionally been seen as requirements for the job. This can then support the development of an application and interview rubric that supports a transparent process.
AN INCLUSIVE FUTURE
We know that the maritime industry must do more to support diversity, equity and inclusion, but knowing this isn’t enough. If we truly want to make a change, to break through the barriers and make possible that which presently, for some, seems to be beyond the realm of possibility, we need to make a conscious effort to have diversity by design.