Gender Equality at Sea: The Story of ETO Amreen Bano

On the international Day of the Seafarer, the campaign theme of which is ‘I Am On Board with gender equality' driven by the 2019 World Maritime Day theme (Empowering Women in the Maritime Community), Human Rights at Sea publishes the updated story and case study of Electro Technical Officer, Amreen Bano: an Indian seafarer who is helping to lead the way to increased inclusion and acceptance of women at sea.

The case study outlines the underpinning of her Muslim faith, her immediate family support, her constant drive in the face of bias and adversity, including the challenges she has faced to achieve her qualifications and Certificate of Competence as the first and youngest female ETO in India, in a previously male-dominated industry.

The charity’s Founder, David Hammond, and researcher Sayedeh Hajar Hejazi, met with Amreen in Mumbai in February after the first ‘Human Rights at Sea’ seminar in India, facilitated by Mrs. Saleha Zubair of the Women’s Wing of the Maritime Union of India.

At that meeting, along with other female merchant marine Officers, it was clear that there was new line of thinking, of professional and personal focus to both achieve and re-balance the current gender imbalance at sea.

Human Rights at Sea first introduced the concept of ‘Gender at Sea’ in 2015.

The case study is available here.