Despite numerous global authoritative sources (World Bank Group1, United Nations, 2, 3, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)4,5, etc.) evidencing both the legal case and the proven benefits of gender equality, the latest findings of a survey carried out the recently formed ICOMIA Diversity Committee, demonstrated that over a third of boating industry respondents did not consider this matter worthy of industry focus and consideration.
The same survey, along with the ground-breaking “Marine Industry Global Workplace Study” produced last year by Sounding Trades Only in conjunction with the NMMA and others, indicates, however, a problem that does indeed require some serious attention.
Aimed at organisations rather than individuals, the ICOMIA survey was answered by 50 entities, 20% of these representing over 100 employees. The results are startling, particularly at the top decision-making level. Findings from the questionnaire indicated 95% male board Chairs/CEOs in the marina industry and that 33% of entry-level staff and only 28% of senior staff were female. Out of 30 “harbour masters”, arguably a title in need of a gender-neutral revision, only three were not identified as male.
The 2024 Marine Industry Global Workplace Study, which counted on over 700 individual respondents and two focus groups, tells us that:
- Women’s salaries are 18% lower than those of their male counterparts. This disparity is more pronounced at the highest leadership levels.
- Whilst the job satisfaction rate in the marine industry “significantly exceeds global workforce levels […] women report lower satisfaction levels compared to men.
- Men are predominantly represented in sales, customer service, and product/project management roles…Women are primarily found in marketing/ communications, administrative, and customer service roles.
Beyond evidence of a significant wage gap, this points to occupational gender stereotyping, reflecting an established assumption that certain jobs are inherently suited for one gender over another. Both research efforts show that that work is required at all levels; but especially in supporting the advancement of women in the workplace.
We should be questioning whether the marine industry is responsible for turning a blind eye to perpetuating systemic barriers, including underrepresentation in decision-making roles and lower overall earning potential for women.
Lessons learned
The ICOMIA Diversity Group first met in February of last year. Diversity and Inclusion is of course a far-reaching and comprehensive topic that involves recognising differences and fostering an equitable environment, encompassing race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientations, religion, age, disability and socioeconomic background. Taking a structured approach however, one of the first priorities has been gender equality.
We have been very fortunate to hear from a host of experts during our gatherings online. The World Sailing Trust demonstrated how product design, particularly in terms of protective clothing and led principally by men, had in some cases failed to account for distinct physical characteristics of the female form that require specific design considerations – leading to ill-fitting and potentially unsafe sailing gear.
We were presented with startling insights regarding the generation gap and how a Gen X approach to receiving and responding to direct instructions, relying on direct and traditional methods and used to working reasonably autonomously, diverged dramatically from the preferences held by Gen Z workers who required more feedback, support and workplace flexibility. Younger workers’ reliance and familiarity with technology also often comprised having a completely difference perspective on how tasks should be carried out. This meant that traditional methods of communicating directives were generating conflicts and failing to be effective.
Another interesting conclusion from these presentations was that efforts to promote gender equality, with individual groups separately carrying out inspiration and productive work, needed to be better coordinated to be more effective.
Moving forwards
We can start by challenging societal bias by encouraging diversity of thought at all levels. This could involve ensuring that genders other than male are instructive, for example, in product development and design, safety and accessibility, employment processes and marketing and communication strategies. Different perspectives can help question traditional practices.
By increasing the visibility of women and their achievements in traditionally male-dominated and leadership roles, we can help challenge gender stereotypes, inspire women considering working in the industry, and help make this as more of a norm. Efforts can already be seen in promotional media for certain boat shows and industry marketing materials.
There are some great examples of companies already investing in continuous training, becoming aware of some of the root causes of inequality through gender analysis, and the development of gender-sensitive indicators, and starting to adapt their procedures and routines to be more inclusive.
A brighter future
Beyond the creation of the Diversity Committee, 2024 saw an important push in the area of the gender mainstreaming with the first Women in Nautica conference, laudable initiatives in trade shows to showcase women’s success stories and discuss pertinent challenges, various gender-related surveys and a series of articles across industry media referencing the situation.
Impressive EU-based projects, such as WINBLUE and WIN-BIG have burgeoned over the couple of years, focused on emerging sectors within the Blue Economy and offering training, guidance and resources.
For the year ahead, ICOMIA Diversity Committee efforts will focus on developing educational resources and guidelines together with outside experts, sharing best practices and experiences and conducting further surveys to gather data and gauge improvements.
For more information about the Committee, please contact louise@icomia.com

1 World Bank Gender Strategy 2024-2030
2Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
32030 Agenda for Sustainable Development