Waves of women empowerment: Merchant fleet with all-women crew sets sail

Sailing towards the International Day for Women in Maritime 2022, which is marked on May 18, an allwomen merchant officers’ fleet on Saturday set off for high seas on board m.t Swarna Godavari.

Organised by the Navratna National Shipping Company, the Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI), the flag-off ceremony was graced by Union minister of state for external affairs and culture, Meenakashi Lekhi. While the Directorate General of Shipping director general, Amitabh Kumar, IRS was the guest of honour, other dignitaries were from the Consulate of Japan.

Setting sail from the city’s Jawahar Dweep oil terminal, m.t Swarna Godavari is the second ship boasting an all-women fleet. The women empowering trend was started by the SCI last year when m.t. Swarna Krishna departed from JNPT to Vadinar. The cargo vessel was steered by an all-women crew, a first in the global maritime history.

Speaking on the occasion, Lekhi stated that Indian women have always been at the forefront in all spheres of progress and today constitute a share of 48 per cent in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) graduates. However, the extremely low share of women in the maritime industry depicts an enormous scope for improvement. “The Centre is continuously encouraging empowered women to take a lead in various progressive initiatives for the benefit of society,” she said.Japanese consulgeneral Dr Fukahori remarked, “Through this voyage, the SCI and Government of India has demonstrated exemplary leadership at a global front, and made all of us proud.”