International Women’s Day (IWD) is an opportunity to shine a light on the achievements of women from all walks of life, celebrate their contributions to all sectors and provide an opportunity to highlight the work that still needs to be done.
The shipping industry itself is making great steps to achieve greater gender balance, opening its doors to women, many of whom have taken up key industry positions in the last few years.
Alongside this, significant strides have been made in the maritime search and rescue (SAR) community to bring equality and inclusion to their industry. For Caroline Jupe, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF), achieving a balanced workforce at all levels in the maritime SAR sector will improve culture, behaviour, outcomes, and productivity.
Mrs Jupe, who became CEO of the IMRF in February, noted that achieving a greater gender balance amongst the maritime SAR community requires a top down approach and that leadership is crucial in promoting equity and inclusion.
“Managers set the tone of the culture in any organisation so they must set clear vision and goals, as well as developing and implementing policies and best practices focused on inclusion. This is not only applicable to women but men as well. An organisation should be welcoming to all its workers,” she says.
Mrs Jupe joined the IMRF in March 2016 as a Fundraising Manager before becoming the organisation’s Head of Fundraising & Projects and has led a number of IMRF initiatives that have improved SAR organisations’ capabilities and best practices worldwide.
For gender balance and inclusivity, this included the #WomenInSAR Initiative, which aims to increase the representation of women in the maritime SAR sector. The initiative, which supports the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) Empowering Women in Maritime initiative, launched in 2019 at the IMRF’s World Maritime Rescue Congress (WMRC) in Vancouver, Canada.
“At the launch, the keynote speaker made a statement that resonated with me. She said that you cannot be what you cannot see. As a maritime SAR community, we must highlight women’s contribution to our sector and show the opportunities available to women while also reaching out to the generation that will come after.
“We need to show that working in maritime SAR, particularly as a woman, is very rewarding and allows you to make a real difference in people’s lives. If you are passionate about helping others and enjoy working in a dynamic and challenging environment; this might be your career path,” she says.
According to the IMO, the current huge gender gap in the maritime sector is well-documented, as “women represent only two percent of the world’s 1.2 million seafarers”.
Although there is currently no hard data on maritime SAR, all available anecdotal evidence suggests that the position is the same: women are significantly under-represented in both volunteer and paid positions at maritime SAR organisations worldwide.
Mrs Jupe notes that the response from the maritime SAR community towards the #WomenInSAR initiative has been incredibly positive. In 2021 the IMRF produced an official #WomenInSAR Report and Guidance that was distributed to maritime SAR organisations worldwide in order to offer best practices for gender balance and inclusivity initiatives that could be implemented.
Some of the key takeaways from the IMRF’s #WomenInSAR Report included the need to provide adequate training, equipment and safety guidance that were suitable for all genders; an emphasis on reliable and supportive management; promoting an organisational culture that positively encourages individual progress regardless of gender; and the need for mentoring and in-post support schemes to champion inclusivity and diversity.
But for Mrs Jupe, what is her ultimate wish list for maritime SAR community and the world regarding inclusion and equality?
“My wish is that by the time my daughter enters the workforce, we will not need a day to bring awareness to women. By then, we would have achieved inclusion.
“However, this is likely a little unrealistic. While we have achieved a lot, there is still more to do. It is vital that our journey can take the next generation even further,” she adds.
Another project close to her heart is the IMRF’s #SARyouOK? campaign.
She says: “The #SARyouOK? initiative increases awareness and further breaks down the stigma attached to mental health and well-being issues those in the maritime SAR sector face.
“Just like our #WomenInSAR initiative, we are looking to work with SAR organisations, including IMRF members, to produce a Guidance and Best Practice framework. The framework will assist in implementing mental health and well-being practices in SAR organisations, providing tangible and practical advice that SAR organisations can use to implement in their operations.”
Furthermore, in June, the IMRF will host its latest World Maritime Rescue Congress (WMRC) in Rotterdam and sustainability will be a key theme for the three-day event.
“WMRC will cover a wide range of sustainability topics. As a maritime SAR community, I hope we come out of WMRC with a greater understanding and framework for improving maritime SAR’s sustainability and environmental impact,” Mrs Jupe concludes.
This year’s IWD campaign theme, #EmbraceEquity, seeks to get the world talking about why ‘equal opportunities are no longer enough’. The maritime SAR community is well on its way to implementing plans to ensure it will be one step closer to gender equality.
