“Women and Children first!” Or: Where are the women in the maritime world?

Prof. Carola Hein, AIVP expert from the TU Delft. Coordinator of the PortCityFutures research group In this article, AIVP Expert Prof. Carola Hein, shares a reflection on the presence of women in the maritime world and port cities. Prof. Hein points out women have always been there, less visible and withstanding blatant discrimination. Even if the situation has improved, as she indicates, it is clear that there is a long way to go. In fact, as Prof. Hein indicates, our own AIVP Agenda 2030 should give more visibility to the fight for gender equality, and greater recognition to the role of women in port cities and maritime activities in general. For this reason, and responding to her well argued criticism, AIVP will debate with its members the inclusion of gender equality in other relevant goals. We thank Prof. Hein for raising a valid point and helping us do a better work. “Women and Children first” is a well-known code of conduct for life-threatening situations, such as abandoning a ship. On International Women’s Day, I wonder, how much this adage is true in the maritime and port city world. On first sight it seems that women are omnipresent and dominant in the maritime world: The Little Mermaid, as described by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, is a beloved fairytale. Sirens, beautiful and dangerous, have lured sailors – so the story goes - to their death for centuries. Female figureheads, often lightly clad, long served as ornamentation at the prow of the ship, and female names feature proudly on the side of ships, referencing goddesses and later mortal women. The Statue of Liberty greets people arriving in New York.…