Merchant Navy Make Case For Female Seafarers In Maritime Schools.

The Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association has called on the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) to embark on massive campaign to create more awareness about its existence, so as to assist female cadets and ratings in the various maritime institutions across the country.

At a meeting of ITF delegates from the United Kingdom with the merchant navy outfit in Lagos last week, the seafaring union made a strong case for female in maritime schools to be trained by ITF officials on shipping and other maritime related courses.

Engineer Deborah Akinware , a member of the association, charged the London delegates of ITF to look inward in the area of capacity building for would- be- female seafarers, noting that workshops, seminars, symposia and retreats should be organised for them to have more sense of belonging about the potentials of the maritime industry.

The engineer who is also inspector of ITF told the visitors that rigourous training and re-training programmes of female students will bring about professionalism in the seafaring job, which in turn will bring about competition in the male-dominated marine business.

Akinware pleaded with the ITF representatives to ensure that female students in the maritime schools across the country are empowered in their next visit to Nigeria because according there are more than 1 million female Nigerians who would want to pick a career in seafaring if properly guided.

She added that, more enlightenment programmes will bring about gender equality in maritime business.

“We should visit all maritime and shipping academies in the country for the purpose of training our female students, because as we speak we don't have many of them in such specialised schools", she lamented.

"If ITF can create awareness for the females, then we will glad to state that the seafaring profession which is dominated by male will experience gender equality", she stressed.