There is a pressing question among offshore and maritime industry professionals: “How do we increase the number of women in operations?”
“Recruit more women!” is often the obvious answer.
As a female with nearly 10 years of experience working on ships, I believe that recruiting is just one necessary part of a more complex answer. The rest of the solution lies in the maritime and offshore industries’ efforts in retaining those women.
‘Hard-working men champion women in operations every day.’
I have researched and spoken to professionals in both maritime and offshore industries. A cultural shift has happened: there is more movement than ever in Human Resources to bridge the gender gap, hard-working men champion women in operations every day, and diversity-promoting groups have emerged. They all seek to support a diverse workforce. At Women Offshore, we want to shout these efforts from the top of our derricks so women know of the vast resources supporting them!
Welcome to Women Offshore.
This is your organization and resource center, devoted to supporting a diverse workforce on the water. Our mission is to share the latest efforts on gender diversity in the offshore and maritime industries, while shining a light on women in operations and providing resources to foster long-term careers.
As you explore our site you’ll notice that we post in the following categories:
- Featured Sea Stories: Women in offshore and maritime operations often seem invisible to the outside world, so Women Offshore shines a light on this diverse group, highlighting their careers and accomplishments.
- Navigate Your Career:Â Women Offshore provides resources and guidance from industry experts on promoting career advancement in the offshore and maritime industries. In this section, read about the latest efforts from around the world supporting inclusion to reduce the gender gap.
- Podcast:Â listen to the Women Offshore Podcast, hosted by the founder of Women Offshore, Ally Cedeno. She interviews women in the industry and what is relevant to supporting an inclusive culture offshore.
- Offshore Lifestyle: Get a first hand look into what life is like at sea. Women from around the globe share their stories of transiting the world’s oceans.*
We are always looking for like-minded, diversity-promoting people to connect with. Like Women Offshore on Facebook, reach out to us on Twitter, and join our conversations on LinkedIn.
Contact Women Offshore today to reduce the gender gap in the offshore and maritime industries or nominate women to be featured on our website: [email protected]Â
*Updated 6/1/2019 to reflect current categories on Women Offshore
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Ally Cedeno is the Founder of Women Offshore and a 2008 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. She is licensed as a chief mate of unlimited tonnage vessels and dynamic positioning operator. Ally's experience on the water spans both the maritime and offshore energy industries over the last 11 years. Ally spent much of her career at sea as one of the only women in operations on the vessels she worked on, yet she is determined to change that with the Women Offshore Foundation, an online organization and resource center for a diverse workforce on the water. The Women Offshore Foundation propels women into meaningful careers through access to a worldwide community and professional development resources, while raising awareness amongst industry leaders and decision makers about issues affecting women on the water.
Wonderful to find this organizations! I have worked in the maritime industry since 1992. The majority of my time being in Near Coastal waters of British Columbia working for BC Ferries. I have been a Captain since 2012. When I first started, there were very few women onboard in deck and ER dept. Now there are many more, but still a minority. I would have loved to have an organization like this one to help my address the issues of being a woman in a male dominated industry.