Maritime DEI survey shows shift from policy to accountability

Women are more likely to feel their employer could do more on DEI than men, and were vastly more likely to have negative experiences onboard a vessel, according to the fifth annual review by the Diversity Study Group (DSG) on the effectiveness of diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) strategies and plans.

The 2024 survey was the first to include polling of seafarers, adding full responses to the questionnaire from 3,300 crew members to the over 3,000 responses to the shore-based 

questionnaire.

Women seafarers made up only 2.5% of DSG survey respondents, but were more likely to experience harassment onboard. Half of women seafarer respondents reported at least one incident of psychological harassment, while one-in-four said they have been sexually harassed.

Across all seafarers surveyed, 19 out of 20 reported their sense of belonging and confidence in the structures to support DEI at their company was good. Despite the positive appraisal, one in five respondents had experienced some kind of psychological harassment, such as bullying. The survey data showed 50% of women and 35% of LGB respondents reported experiencing such harassment, and 29% of middle-ranked seafarers.

For the shore-based survey, the share of women declined from 46% in 2023 to just over 40%, and the spread of female representation by seniority suggested a slowdown in the promotion of women to leadership roles, DSG said.

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One in four shore-based respondents said they felt their organisation could do more to improve DEI. Responses were divided by gender, however, 28% of men felt their employer could do more on DEI and 41% of women.

DSG said its survey feedback showed a shift from DEI training and policy writing to management accountability for applying policies to support a more inclusive culture.

“Both on land and at sea, respondents indicated that individual and local delivery of equity via management is key to people feeling included and connected to the company and their coworkers,” said DSG.

Heidi Heseltine, CEO and Founder at DSG, said: “While this year’s survey shows that in general many aspects are on an upward trajectory, our emphasis should be about maintaining this momentum and avoiding complacency.

“The largely positive feedback from shore-based personnel, and the encouraging results of our inaugural seafarer survey, highlight a strong workplace culture among DSG’s participating organisations. These findings reflect the efforts of industry leaders in fostering DEI within the maritime sector. They also underscore increased employee trust in these organisations and the high value maritime workers place on inclusive company culture. This represents a significant advantage for companies in attracting and retaining talent while reinforcing a workplace where employees feel valued and empowered to voice concerns—ultimately enhancing safety and operational excellence.”

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