TACLOBAN CITY – In a significant event marking the celebration of National Women’s Month, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) organized a Research Colloquium dubbed as “Pride and Prime: A Discourse on Gender Equality in the Overseas Labor Migration” on 13 March 2024. This initiative underscores the department’s dedication to fostering gender equality and empowering Filipino women in the overseas labor sector.
As part of the colloquium, the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), a subsumed agency under the DMW, presented the key findings of its completed research in CY 2022, entitled “Profile of Filipino Women in Maritime”. Ms. Elena M. Santos, NMP OIC-Maritime Research and Development Division offered an insightful exploration into the roles, representation, and the challenges faced by Filipino women in both seafaring and shore-based sectors of maritime.
Key findings from the research highlighted that, though Filipino women have made inroads into maritime careers, they remain underrepresented, particularly in shipboard roles, mirroring global trends. Notably, their participation is primarily seen within the Steward/Catering Departments at 42% (402 out of 953 Filipino women seafarers).
The study also revealed the various forms of gender discrimination faced by Filipino women in maritime sector, including during recruitment, promotion, cadetship, and training opportunities. Moreover, the research uncovered that less than half (44%) or 28 out of 64 surveyed shipping companies and crewing agencies have established formal policy on gender equality, indicating a significant gap in the institutional support necessary to foster a more inclusive and equitable maritime industry.
Despite these challenges, the research offered an analysis of the progress being made towards gender equality within the maritime industry. It highlighted that, although women’s participation in shipping and crewing management remains limited, there exists a pathway for their advancement and leadership in this field. Women holding senior management positions comprise approximately 11% (100 out of 940 female employees) within crewing and shipping companies, underscoring a gradual but positive move toward gender diversity at the higher levels of the maritime industry.
In response to the findings and recommendations of the study, the DMW and NMP have called for the implementation of more robust policies and practices to address gender disparities in the maritime sector. These include the development of gender-sensitive recruitment, training, and promotion processes, the establishment of formal gender equality policies within companies, and the provision of support systems for women in maritime professions.
Furthermore, making Gender Sensitivity Training (GST) mandatory in the academe has also been proposed, with plans to present this initiative to the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for endorsement and implementation. This move aims to ensure that gender sensitivity and equality are ingrained at the educational level, making it as a foundational awareness, thereby fostering a more inclusive and equitable maritime industry from the ground up.
In addition to the NMP’s research, the colloquium also featured two (2) other significant studies: “Gendered Constructions of Overseas Filipino Workers and the Politics of National Shame” by Dr. Jean S. Encinas-Franco from the Department of Political Science of the University of the Philippines, and “Mapping of Filipina Seafarers in Domestic and International Maritime Industry, 2014-2024” by Dr. Joefe B. Santarita of the Asian Center, University of the Philippines. These presentations further enriched the discourse, offering diverse perspectives on the intersection of gender, labor migration, and national identity within the context of the maritime industry.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned NMP’s research was also presented at a virtual forum during the 2023 International Day for Women in Maritime on 18 May 2023, and during the NMP Research Forum on 22 June 2023. These fora served as vital platforms for disseminating the research findings to a broader audience, igniting international and national conversations about the need for systemic changes within the maritime sector to eliminate gender bias and create a more supportive environment for women.
To access the full research study or for more information of the NMP’s researches, interested stakeholders may access our e-Research Portal at https://research.nmp.gov.ph/ or visit NMP’s official website at www.nmp.gov.ph to view relevant activities and updates related to our services.