{"id":22186,"date":"2026-09-09T14:13:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T13:13:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/?p=22186"},"modified":"2026-09-11T14:21:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T13:21:51","slug":"south-africa-samsas-occupational-health-safety-and-maritime-welfare-unit-visits-mv-goodwind-in-cape-town-on-womens-month-as-part-of-the-awareness-campaign-under-the-gbv-at-sea-pr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/south-africa-samsas-occupational-health-safety-and-maritime-welfare-unit-visits-mv-goodwind-in-cape-town-on-womens-month-as-part-of-the-awareness-campaign-under-the-gbv-at-sea-pr\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa – SAMSA\u2019s Occupational Health & Safety and Maritime Welfare Unit visits MV Goodwind in Cape Town on Women\u2019s month as part of the awareness campaign under the GBV at Sea programme"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As we reflect back on women\u2019s month, we are reminded of the ongoing work in the maritime sector to ensure that women are given equal opportunities and that their human rights are protected.<\/p>\n

On 31 August 2026, the last day of women\u2019s month, the South African Maritime Safety Authority\u2019s (SAMSA) Occupational Health & Safety and Maritime Welfare Unit made an ad-hoc visit to the vessel MV Goodwind in Cape Town as part of the awareness campaign under the GBV at Sea programme.<\/p>\n

The visit was intended to drive the clear message that we must keep in mind the challenges that female seafarers continue to face at sea. This ad-hoc visit was well received by the ship officers and the crew.<\/p>\n

The 2026 BIMCO and ICS Seafarer Workforce Report estimates active global seafarer numbers to be at 2.57 million with the number of female seafarers continuing to remain at just over 1% of the total seafarer workforce.<\/p>\n

According to various reports, female seafarers continue to face various barriers to entry and encounter challenges in progressing in their careers. Female seafarers additionally face challenges such as discrimination based on gender, bullying, non-accommodative working environments, sexual harassment and sexual assault, blacklisting for those who dare to speak, shipowners not willing to provide cadetship berths to female seafarers or the denial to employ female seafarers at all.<\/p>\n

These challenges are not only barriers to entry but affect the sustainability of gender programmes as many female seafarers feel discouraged and end up leaving their seafaring careers prematurely.<\/p>\n

Between 2021 \u2013 2025, about 29% of seafarers who enrolled in the country\u2019s National Cadetship Programme were female. This is an encouraging figure that creates a challenge for SAMSA and other role players to continue with the efforts to curb these barriers.<\/p>\n

South Africa, alongside international counterparts proposed extensive amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2026 (MLC 2006) to ensure that the subject of violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault is mainstreamed and is included in the MLC 2006 as well as other texts that provide for an accommodative environment to female seafarers.<\/p>\n

The efforts culminated in the adoption of the amendments by the ILO.\u00a0https:\/\/lnkd.in\/dTw5YAHV<\/a><\/p>\n

The amendments which are expected to come into effect in December 2027 bring the following into the MLC, 2006<\/strong><\/p>\n