Seafarers Hospital Society Launches Pilot Project To Support Women At Sea

The Seafarers’ Hospital Society (SHS), a maritime charity dedicated to meeting the health and welfare needs of all seafarers working in the UK, has launched a pilot project to provide women working at sea with free feminine hygiene products. The pilot project is intended to address a gap in many existing facilities and welfare provisions onboard vessels and in ports, which are often designed with the needs of male seafarers in mind and therefore fail to account for the specific healthcare requirements of women.

Sandra Welch, CEO of the Seafarers Hospital Society, said, “We are very proud to have launched this pilot project, designed by women and created to support the health and welfare of women working at sea. Although maritime stakeholders often discuss the visible challenges women in our workforce may face — such as harassment (including sexual harassment), bullying, and discrimination in terms of pay, training and opportunities — the more subtle hurdles of a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products and the significant impact on a female seafarer’s ability to perform her duties tends to be left unremarked. This must change. I hope this innovative project makes visible this gap and paves the way for similar projects to be created across other ports in the UK.”

The project is funded by a £25,000 grant provided by the TK Foundation and The Seafarers’ Charity, and will allow for the creation and provision of 1030 feminine hygiene kits for women seafarers. Over the next 12 months, SHS will provide 1000 discreet bags of sanitary products, containing a mixture of sanitary towels, tampons, period pants, at the London International Cruise Terminal. SHS will also work with the Port of Tilbury, in partnership with the QVSR London Tilbury Seafarer Centre, to provide 30 discreet bags of sanitary products (sanitary towels and period pants only) to be distributed via the Port Chaplain to women seafarers from cargo ships.

Deborah Layde, Chief Executive of The Seafarers’ Charity said “This project emerged from research we funded into the welfare needs of women on cargo ships, conducted by Seafarers’ International Research Centre at Cardiff University. It is our hope that this pilot will help shipping companies reflect on how they can best assist their female crew on board with their wellbeing, as well as improving rates of retention and attracting more women to the industry”.

Women seafarers are often confined to a limited supply of menstrual health products, such as tampons and sanitary towels, for the duration of their employment contract. Contract extensions on short notice, lengthy voyages, and restrictions on shore leave all contribute to a lack of access or an insufficient supply of these products, despite efforts on the part of the seafarer to prepare accordingly. Menstrual products may also be bulky and expensive, making buying and packing large quantities unfeasible for some.

Making up just 2% of the world’s maritime workers, most women seafarers are employed in the cruise or ferry sectors. A lack of menstrual hygiene products can contribute to stress and discomfort, and make it challenging for women to perform their duties onboard. Many may find it difficult to approach management or other crew members for assistance in shipping’s male-dominated workspaces, and cultural factors may also contribute further to this hesitation.

Dennis Treleaven, Maritime Program Officer at The TK Foundation said: “We’re delighted to support a project that seeks to address the absence of feminine hygiene products onboard vessels during what might be substantial periods at sea, where access to such items might not be easily facilitated. We recognise that women seafarers have an increasingly important role at all levels onboard, and we hope that this project will encourage ship owners and managers to consider the needs of all their seafarers.”

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