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Journals / Mersin University Journal of Maritime Faculty / 2026 / Volume: 8 Issue: 1

NAVIGATING INEQUALITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN SEAFARERS

Müge Büber(DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, DENİZCİLİK FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-9238-0260
Esin Candan Demirkol(DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İZMİR MESLEK YÜKSEKOKULU)0000-0002-6419-9990
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-06-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings reveal persistent gaps between international regulatory commitments particularly those under the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) and shipboard realities, driven by cultural resistance, weak enforcement, and insufficient institutional support.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study presents a comprehensive systematic review of gender discrimination, workplace perceptions, and structural inequalities affecting women seafarers across global maritime contexts.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Synthesizing 144 studies published between 2000 and 2025, this review critically examines gender-based harassment, exclusionary organizational cultures, career progression barriers, and the psychological, social, and operational challenges experienced by women at sea.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The findings reveal persistent gaps between international regulatory commitments particularly those under the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) and shipboard realities, driven by cultural resistance, weak enforcement, and insufficient institutional support.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:2000 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Women Seafarers · Gender Discrimination · Occupational Segregation

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive systematic review of gender discrimination, workplace perceptions, and structural inequalities affecting women seafarers across global maritime contexts. Synthesizing 144 studies published between 2000 and 2025, this review critically examines gender-based harassment, exclusionary organizational cultures, career progression barriers, and the psychological, social, and operational challenges experienced by women at sea. Using the PRISMA-2020 framework and PICOS criteria, the study identifies five dominant thematic domains: gender-based discrimination and harassment, organizational culture and career progression, maritime education and training constraints, work–family balance and wellbeing, and policy-level interventions. The findings reveal persistent gaps between international regulatory commitments particularly those under the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) and shipboard realities, driven by cultural resistance, weak enforcement, and insufficient institutional support. Despite increasing awareness and emerging gender-responsive initiatives, women remain severely underrepresented in the global seafaring workforce, with available estimates generally indicating a very low share relative to men. The review highlights substantial methodological and regional blind spots in the literature, underscoring the need for longitudinal, intersectional, and intervention-based research to inform effective policy reforms. Strengthening gender-inclusive governance requires not only cultural change and institutional awareness, but also enforceable measures such as confidential reporting systems, gender-sensitive HR practices, structured mentorship pathways, stronger accountability mechanisms, and targeted incentives to improve the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women seafarers.

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Cite This Article

Büber, M., Demirkol, E. C., *, M. B. (2026). NAVIGATING INEQUALITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN SEAFARERS. Mersin University Journal of Maritime Faculty, Volume: 8 Issue: 1. https://doi.org/10.47512/meujmaf.1886690

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