Feminization of Maritime Professions: Gender Equality and Labor Rights in Research Vessels and Sail Cargo Sectors

This paper explores the feminization of maritime professions, with a specific focus on women’s roles in research vessels and sail cargo sectors. It examines how gender equality and labor rights intersect with the growing ecological focus in these fields. Women have become crucial in reshaping maritime practices (Aggrey 2000; Belcher et al. 2003; Grövel & Stevanovic 2016; Flécher 2023), yet they continue to face challenges such as invisibility, gender inequality, and jurisdictional conflicts that govern their work (Kitada 2010; Proutière-Maulion et al. 2017; Agbavon 2021). Despite efforts from organizations like the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), barriers to full inclusion remain significant.

Focusing on research vessels and sail cargo sectors—both central to ecological sustainability—the paper seeks to explore how feminization and ecologization intersect. These sectors, driven by scientific research, environmental monitoring, and sustainable maritime practices, offer potential for more inclusive labor structures. The paper investigates whether the transition to more environmentally sustainable maritime activities fosters gender equity, or if deeper systemic changes are needed to ensure women are fully included in the benefits of this transformation.

Through an interdisciplinary approach combining sociology, anthropology, and legal studies, the research analyzes how labor rights, gender roles, and ecological sustainability are interconnected in these maritime sectors. By focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities for women in research vessels and sail cargo, the paper emphasizes the importance of developing inclusive policies that advance both gender equality and ecological justice in the future of maritime professions.