WISTA is an international platform for women in the maritime industry to share their knowledge, experience and help encourage more women in management positions.
For our second 'Women in Shipping' piece, we spoke with Sanjam Sahi Gupta, WISTA India founder member and President, about the influences her upbringing had on her career, her experiences in the industry so far and her hopes for the future of women in shipping.
Leah Kinthaert: Are women treated differently to men in the shipping industry?
Sanjam Sahi Gupta: Shipping is male dominated like several other professions. This means the percentage of women at management level is low. While there are plenty of women in lower positions, somehow there's a barrier and very few women achieve senior positions. There is a glass ceiling that holds them back from reaching leadership positions. While there is a bias, there has been a marked change in the last 15 years.
In India, last year the Government regulation made it compulsory for listed companies to have a minimum one female director on their boards. Whilst lots of shipping companies made changes, the move led to organisations appointing family members. This defeats the purpose of giving more representation to women. It’s also a cultural thing - it varies from region to region.
I have grown up with the love of the sea. My father, Capt. S.S.Sahi, told us stories of his travels abroad and his experiences meeting people from a range of cultures. I grew up seeing his modern outlook on life and it benefited me tremendously. While he left the sea to start his own business, I always dreamed that one day I would be part of this glorious industry.
When both my sister Sumeet and I started working in the family business, people would make assumptions. Because we had no brother, they assumed we were 'allowed to join'. While attending dinners and gatherings, we would sometimes be the only women. I remember once the speaker addressing the room as 'gentlemen' and ignoring us completely. Women are often perceived as 'non-serious', mistaken for wives or secretaries. Nowadays, this has improved, and we see many more women at association meetings and gatherings.
LK: What is it like to be a woman in shipping?
SSG: I’m privileged to be part of this glorious industry. Where else would we be exposed to so many cultures and help to facilitate world trade - the learning is immense! Each day we come across a new situation, and every day is a learning process. I have gotten so much from this industry; I want to be able to give something back too.
LK: What do you think are the biggest challenges that face women in shipping?
SSG: The biggest challenge is the mind-set.
Sometimes women doubt their capabilities and shy away from taking on more responsibilities. Several times they don’t get support from their spouses/partners. There was recently a case with a lady who was fantastic in her sales job, but her husband wasn't happy with her meeting so many men as part of her job and so asked her to take up a desk job.
Part of the mind-set of the industry is that gentlemen form presumptions on the basis of gender, women may not be as capable or come with 'baggage'- maternity leave etc. They're therefore less likely to hire females and promote them.
We lack a support system for women. There are no company-run day care centres, no flexi working hours for women, no “share a day option”. Companies should encourage women to get back to work after their maternity leave, but sadly this is not always the case.
There was a very funny incident several years back. A client visited FM Chennai only to find that there were only women present in the office. The look on his face was priceless, I remember him saying us 'This is the first office I have seen which is only women!'
In another more recent case, a client refused to negotiate on a shipment. He insisted on meeting 'someone who had decision making powers'. They don’t feel satisfied until they are assured a “man” is in charge.
Another client wanted to fix a deal and said, 'your company name is good –but what if something goes wrong - who is responsible?' After meeting our Operations Head, they felt satisfied that if something went wrong, a 'man' was there to handle matters!
While women are not allowed in ports after dark for safety reasons, it’s a marked change from 30 years back where people would be puzzled why a woman wanted to visit the port and getting a port pass would be a challenge.
LK: What needs to happen to encourage more women into shipping?
SSG: We're unable to attract the talent as we are truly an invisible industry. While speaking to a class of students in their first year of their MBA, I asked for a show of hands of how many would take up a career in shipping. Not surprisingly, not a single hand went up.
There's a lack of awareness of shipping as a career. People without connections to the industry believe that sailing is the only option. It's our job to explain to them how vast the industry is - from careers at sea, shore-working at ports, terminals, liners, freight forwarders, clearing agents, logistics, and more.
In India there is a lack of unity to promote the industry, each association has their own agendas and likes to do things separately. If we all join hands, there is so much we can do.
LK: Do you think there is enough support for women in the industry?
SSG: There are some, but we need more. The media has a large part to play in this.
There are specific challenges for female seafarers - young cadets approach me for help as they're not getting placed. Unfortunately, there is still a bias towards female cadets relating to safety issues. Several companies have a 'no female cadet policy', to protect themselves from claims in case of harassment.
We've approached the Director General of Shipping about this - it's caused by a lack of understanding/gender sensitization. Our goal is to have a diversity charter and implement the same in training institutes.
Cultural differences are also responsible - the female cadets say they don’t face any problems of acceptance with a foreign crew, but it’s an issue with Indian crew.
A senior gentleman once told me that the Indian Gaze is not good and that is a natural need to protect the women. He said he would not be able to live with himself if a girl placed by him underwent harassment.
The worst is when the few women at the top want that to remain as it is. They don’t want to encourage other women lest their own importance be reduced.
LK: What attracted you to WISTA?
SSG: WISTA is a wonderful opportunity for likeminded women to meet, network and learn from each other. We all share our love of the industry and it’s a great networking organization.
LK: What do you hope to achieve by being a member of WISTA?
SSG: By launching WISTA in India, we want to make a difference and create a platform for women in our industry. We meet and exchange experiences, take guidance and learn from each other. It has connected me with so many women in our industry and today I am happy to say most of them are good friends. It gives young professionals a chance to be mentored by the stalwarts of the industry - which is essential, especially when you're a a newcomer with no industry connections.
With WISTA being in 34 countries, we have friends all over the worlds and can meet and learn from each other.
We have some fantastic role models like our President Karin Orsel, Ms Katherina Stanzel - Managing Director Intertanko and in India, our very own Vinita Venkatesh who is group advisor, Krishnapatnam Port.
Some people feel we are trying to segregate the ladies, but I feel we're doing the opposite. We're trying to integrate them - a lot of women are hesitant and shy away from opportunities, we're encouraging them to step up.
We need to encourage people to look for the right “person” for the job, rather than the right “man” for the job.
LK: Have you ever faced any hurdles in your career as a result of being a woman?
SSG: I’m very happy to say no. Gender has not made a difference to my career path. In order to succeed, we all have to work hard. I feel being a woman has made it easier for me. Women are good at multi-tasking - looking after the home, kids and work. We juggle so many roles with ease - that of a wife, mother and a career woman.
I am thankful to my parents and husband for giving me this wonderful opportunity and encouraging me. Family truly levels the playing field with their immense support!
