P&O fights for gender balance in seafaring careers

At Travel Weekly, there’s nothing we love more than seeing women in the travel industry succeeding and living their best lives.

Second to that is seeing travel companies making a conscious effort to lift up their women employees, giving them the support they need to thrive.

Which is why we’re fangirling P&O Cruises this morning.

It’s also why we hold our Women in Travel Awards, which are TONIGHT PEOPLE! Get into it, get your ticket, see you there. Find out more here. 

That’s enough self-promotion for now. Back to P&O.

According to the Nautical Institute, women only make up two per cent of the world’s seafarers. Which is why they were pleasantly surprised when they walked on board P&O’s Pacific Explorer to conduct a Women in Maritime event only to be met face to face with the future it seeks to achieve.

The Institute was welcomed by six third officers who are currently taking part in a special mentoring program on Pacific Explorer on their path to becoming senior deck officers on Carnival Australia-brand cruise ships.

The six, pictured here with Pacific Explorer Hotel Director Melissa Yates (centre), are (left to right) Hilary Cassano, Laura Abbruzetti, Rachel Davies, Lauren Brunton, Bryony Rodger and Emma Forbes-Gearey.

All have previous experience on cargo ships, bulk carriers or offshore rigs and are now participating in a program to ensure more women have opportunities to take their place as professional mariners.

They are being supported onboard Pacific Explorer by accomplished Hotel Director, Melissa Yates, the daughter of a recently retired ship captain, who worked her way through the hotel operations ranks to her current senior position.

“There are many women working on cruise ships and, during my years at sea, I have always been and felt accepted as part of the team,” Melissa said.

“But it is distressing when I hear women tell me that their experience was quite different in other areas of shipping. It makes me realise how fortunate I have been.”

The Nautical Institute is trying to raise awareness of the need to achieve greater gender balance by addressing barriers that can discourage women from seeking careers at sea.