Women seafarers: Global employment policies and practices

In the past 50 year women have to be employed in steadily increasing numbers aboard the world's merchant ships. Although their presence has occasionally attracted comment, the report presented here is the fist comprehensive study of the policies and practices of the employ of women seafarers. This study was commissioned by the International Labour Office (ILO) following the resolution concerning women seafarers adopted by the 29th Session of the Joint Maritime Commission on 22-26 January 2001 in Geneva. The research was conducted by the Seafarers International Research Centre (SIRC) at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. The SIRC research team received the cooperation of many women seafarers, trade unions, shipowners and ship managers as well as training and regulatory institutions in all world regions. I would like to thank them all for having taken the enquiry so seriously and for having participated so willingly. I believe this book will be of considerable benefit to the ever-growing numbers of women seafarers and to all those who are involved and interested in improving the conditions and welfare of women employed on board the world' merchant ships in the twenty-century.