- OVERVIEW
Women in Shipping: Roles Transformation and Inspiration
Findings from the IMO–WISTA Women in Maritime Survey 2024 show women account for around 19 per cent of employment across surveyed maritime organisations within IMO Member States.
BIMCO/ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2021, women represent just over one per cent of the global active seafarer workforce.
The transformation of women’s roles in shipping
Previously in shipping, women worked in a clerical administrative roles. Now women are taking more diversified repertoires such as seafarers, shipbroking, marine insurance, classification societies, port operations, maritime laytime, navigational, engineering, and the list goes on.
What are the challenges women in the shipping industry face?
There is practical barriers such as the lack of appropriate accomodation and facilities designed for mixed gender crews. Women are also facing the pressure of balancing work and family, also to fight stereotype that women not supposed to budge into the men’s dominating world.
How can companies & the shipping industry helps to protect and empower women?
Some companies have already adopted proactive approaches, such as discreetly placing sanitary products in bridge or engine control room first-aid boxes, cabins, or installing sanitary bins in shared washrooms. This is something that is much needed to retain and recruit female seafarers.
Working from home (wfh) and flexible work arrangements also help women to balance both responsibilities at work and in family. As shipping is a 24/7 and 365 days working nature, women who are able wfh or flexi arrangement would have better monitoring access and encouragement, which would radiates in higher productivity.
International Chamber of Shiping (ICS) guide highlights of safeguarding dignity, comfort and operational safety on board. The IMO also has run a dedicated Women in Maritime program for years, working with member states and training institutions to expand access to maritime education and address structural barriers .
Some of the inspiring women in shipping
Lois K. Zabrocky ~ International Seaways President & CEO
Ms Zabrocky begain her maritime career sailing as third mate aboard a U.S flag chemical tanker. Afterwards she joined OSG and resposible for spot chartering across all sectors. She has nearly 20 years of management experience, also served as Vice President for commercial operations of Aframax International. Now she is the President and CEO of INSW since 2018. INSW stocks cracked $100 in August 2026.
One of her quotes: “When we spun out, there weren’t a lot of believers. But Seaways believed It is just a contact battle to move up the leader board.”
Justyna Adamczyk ~ Captain at Maersk
She come from small towns in Poland and graduated from the Maritime Academy in Szczecin, specializing in Maritime Traffic Engineering. She started their maritime careers with a small Danish company before moving on to HSUD. Later, she was promoted to Chief Officers in 2013. In 2024, she has made the impressive last step to the rank of captain. “Coming back to work at sea after giving birth was one of the hardest decisions for me. But with the support of my husband and our determination, we made it work.”
Karin Orsel ~ Maritime Entrepreneur & Shipowner
Karin was only 23 years young when she began her journey as a shipowner and maritime entrepreneur in the charming Dutch village of Farmsum. Owning only six ships manned by a handful of crew, she laid the foundations for something big. Nowadays, Karin stands at the helm as CEO of MF Shipping Group.
She received the IMO Gender Equality Award 2025 for her contribution to gender equality and women’s empowerment in maritime. She is a good example of entrepreneurship and ownership, showing that women can not only work within shipping companies but also build and lead them.
What more can women do in the shipping industry?
In a male dominated industry, women are often challenged.
However, working hard and staying motivated will help to break stereotypes and prove one’s capabilities. Being surrounded by with women who choose to support others would be a comfortable avenue to learn more about the industry, and build their careers with a strong support network. For the shipping, a diverse workforce with opportunities and space for women is essential if the maritime industry is to keep improving and remain competitive.
- MR MARKET OUTLOOK AND PLATTS TREND
| WORLD SCALE | 1-Sep-26 | 2-Sep-26 | 3-Sep-26 | 7-DAYS AVERAGE |
1-DAY CHANGE |
7-DAYS CHANGE |
7-DAYS- CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPORE/JPN (30 KT) | 288.5 | 294.5 | 300 | 282.31 | 5.5 | 37.5 | 14.29% |
| SPORE/OZ (35 KT) | 325 | 330 | 335 | 320.31 | 5 | 30 | 9.84% |
| KOREA /OZ (35 KT) | 350 | 365 | 370 | 348.13 | 5 | 42.5 | 12.98% |
| INDIA/JAPAN (35 KT) | 260 | 250 | 260 | 248.13 | 10 | 30 | 13.04% |
| $1 = $1K | 1-Sep-26 | 2-Sep-26 | 3-Sep-26 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPORE/HK | 790 | 830 | 830 | 738.75 | 0 | 205 | 32.80% |
| KOREA/SPORE | 1475 | 1550 | 1500 | 1,368.75 | -50 | 475 | 46.34% |
| KOREA/JAPAN | 1150 | 1225 | 1125 | 1,043.75 | -100 | 375 | 50.00% |
| KOREA/H.K. | 1350 | 1425 | 1325 | 1,221.88 | -100 | 425 | 47.22% |
| KOREA/USWC | 2,875 | 2,950 | 2,850 | 2,793.75 | -100 | 375 | 15.15% |
| WORLD SCALE | 1-Sep-26 | 2-Sep-26 | 3-Sep-26 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AG/JAPAN (55 KT) | 490 | 500 | 500 | 488.75 | 0 | 25 | 5.26% |
| AG/JAPAN (75 KT) | 485 | 490 | 480 | 481.25 | -10 | 10 | 2.13% |
| OMAN G./JAPAN (55 KT) | 300 | 295 | 295 | 304.38 | 0 | -5 | -1.67% |
| OMAN G./JAPAN (75 KT) | 290 | 290 | 305 | 288.13 | 15 | 15 | 5.17% |
LR1/LR2 Rates are currently trading at levels rarely seen in recent years, approaching multi-year highs and MR sentiment in Asia are euphoric, with rates continuing to push close into all-time high. The Sin/Japan market moved from WS276 to WS300, while Sin/Oz strengthened from WS315 to WS335. The North Asian market was particularly strong this week, with SK/Oz climbing from WS340 to WS370 as owners continued to push ideas higher amid a tightening prompt tonnage position. Regional earnings also improved, with Sin/HK reaching around $830k and SK/Sin around $1.50m, with owners indicating higher than $3.0m for trans-pac options trying to get charterers to bite.
The continued rise across both Southeast Asian and North Asian runs suggests that the firming trend is being supported by broader regional tonnage tightness in the East of Suez rather than being isolated to a single route. Owners remain in a relatively strong position and are likely to continue testing the market higher, particularly for prompt units.
- REPORTED FIXTURES
| VESSEL | SIZE | GRADE | L/C | LOAD | DISCHARGE | FREIGHT | CHTRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEON WISDOM | 35 | CPP | 15 SEP | KOREA | PHILLIPPINES | 1.25M | CSSSA |
| ENERGY ATHENA | 35 | CPP | 16 SEP | DALIAN | OZ | WS355 | BP |
| HAFNIA PRESTIGE | 55 | NAP | 18 SEP | STS SOHAR | JAPAN | WS295 | BXT |
- GLOBAL BUNKER PRICE REPORT
VLSFO
VLSFO prices increased across all major bunkering hubs over the three-day period, despite some daily corrections. The renewed escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict and very low vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz have increased concerns over oil supply disruptions, supporting crude oil and bunker prices. Brent also reached a six-week high earlier this week as the market reacted to the renewed tensions.
MGO
MGO prices recorded the strongest increase among the three bunker grades during the three-day period. The continued disruption to Middle East oil flows, together with tight refined-product supply and refinery disruptions, has kept diesel prices under strong pressure. Recent reports also showed U.S. diesel prices reaching their highest level in several years, supporting the sharp rise in MGO prices.
HSFO
HSFO prices moved higher across the three-day period, although the increase was more moderate than for MGO. Renewed concerns over oil supply from the Middle East and continued disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz provided support, while the relatively smaller increase suggests that HSFO was less affected than middle distillates by the current supply tightness.
(US$/MT)
| 1-Sept | 2-Sept | 3-Sept | 3-DAYS AVERAGE | 1-DAY CHANGE | 3-DAYS CHANGE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VLSFO 0.5 | ||||||
| SINGAPORE | 838.0 | 856.0 | 860.5 | 851.5 | +4.5 | +22.5 |
| FUJAIRAH | 844.0 | 895.5 | 857.5 | 865.7 | -38.0 | +13.5 |
| ROTTERDAM | 683.5 | 682.0 | 684.5 | 683.3 | +2.5 | +1.0 |
| HOUSTON | 706.0 | 723.0 | 722.5 | 717.2 | -0.5 | +16.5 |
| GLOBAL MARKET | 821.5 | 840.0 | 829.5 | 830.3 | -10.5 | +8.0 |
| MGO | ||||||
| SINGAPORE | 1222.5 | 1246.0 | 1248.5 | 1239.0 | +2.5 | +26.0 |
| FUJAIRAH | 1447.0 | 1457.0 | 1453.0 | 1452.3 | -4.0 | +6.0 |
| ROTTERDAM | 1295.0 | 1358.0 | 1361.5 | 1338.2 | +3.5 | +66.5 |
| HOUSTON | 1278.5 | 1338.0 | 1329.5 | 1315.3 | -8.5 | +51.0 |
| GLOBAL MARKET | 1411.5 | 1444.5 | 1454.5 | 1436.8 | +10.0 | +43.0 |
| IFO 380 (HSFO) |
||||||
| SINGAPORE | 642.5 | 657.5 | 646.5 | 648.8 | -11.0 | +4.0 |
| FUJAIRAH | 639.0 | 649.5 | 641.5 | 643.3 | -8.0 | +2.5 |
| ROTTERDAM | 557.0 | 564.0 | 567.5 | 562.8 | +3.5 | +10.5 |
| HOUSTON | 495.5 | 516.5 | 511.0 | 507.7 | -5.5 | +15.5 |
| GLOBAL MARKET | 648.0 | 656.0 | 652.5 | 652.2 | -3.5 | +4.5 |
- SHIPPING STOCKS MARKET WATCH
Former Hafnia chief executive Mikael Skov signed off last week with the best quarterly result since 2022. Net profit came in at at $277.8m, up from $75.3m last year, including a $39.3m gain on vessel sales. Revenue was $816m, against $554m in 2025. He stood down after 16 years, to be replaced by head of asset management Soren Steenberg Jensen.
Meanwhile, Scorpio has recently entered into agreements to time charter-out two LR2 product tankers, STI Gladiator and STI Jermyn, and one MR product tanker, STI Pontiac. The agreements for STI Gladiator and STI Jermyn are each for a term of three years at rates of $40,188 per day and $42,500 per day, respectively.
- SOURCES
- Shipcrewfinder (2026) – Women in Shipping: Real Opportunities, Real Challenges, and Where to Start in 2026, accessed September 2026.
- GlobalTrade (2026) – Supporting Women at Sea – The Critical Role of the Updated Maritime Labour Convention in Modern Maritime Workplaces– 19 May 2026, accessed September2026.
- Tradewinds (2026) – Century mark: International Seaways cracks $100 per share – 22 August 2026, accessed September 2026.
- International Seaways Inc (2026) – Management, accessed September 2026.
- MaritimeOne – Women in Maritime, accessed September 2026.
- Maersk (2024) – Overcoming Challenges and Breaking Barriers – 01 October 2024, accessed September 2026.
- MS Shipping Group (2026) – Meet Karin Orsel, CEO of MF Shipping Group, accessed September 2026.
- S&P Global Commodity Insights (Platts). Clean tanker freight assessments and tanker market intelligence, accessed September 2026.
- Saxo Investor, accessed September 2026.
- Firstlink Research Team. (2026). Internal Market Analysis . Firstlink Global Pte. Ltd., Singapore.
8 Comments
I feel this so much. Growing career as a female in a male-dominated field is not always easy, but having a great community of females around makes all the difference. We just have to keep supporting one another and showing through our results that women absolutely belong and thrive in shipping.
Great article! It’s inspiring to see how women’s roles in shipping are expanding into various operational fields. I especially love the point on WFH—having flexible working arrangements makes a huge difference in managing the 24/7 nature of this industry while keeping productivity and work-life balance at their best…
Technology makes it easier to balance work and family.
Most importantly, we must have the drive and mindset to punch above the weight and attain meaningful achievements both at home and in office.
Gender equality should apply to all industry, shipping included. Hope to see more female taking big roles in shipping.
The future of shipping depends on attracting and retaining diverse talent. Empowering more women is not just about representation, it’s about strengthening the industry and building a more resilient future.
Great to see more women taking on key roles across shipping. A stronger and more diverse talent pool can only benefit the industry.
I have personally encountered many a strong women in this male-dominated sector. The common traits that they always display is a sense of equality in them and they demand people talk to them on equal footing.
I always support gender equality. Having more diverse talent pool in shipping pool surely will make this industry stronger and more resilient.