Filipina seafarers face “tides” as they integrate into a male-dominated and hierarchical industry, according to a pioneering feminist research conducted by a UP professor for Kanlungan Centre Foundation Inc., an NGO which caters to migrants and their families.

The study, titled “Pinays On Board: An Exploratory Study on the Working Conditions of Filipino Women Seafarers is scheduled for unveiling in forum on Sept. 29, 1 to 4 pm, at the audio-visual room of the UP College of Social Work and Community Development in Diliman, Quezon City. The forum is organized by Kanlungan, the UP Center for Women’s Studies, and the UP Department of Women and Development Studies.

“Women’s navigation into a male-dominated and hierarchical maritime industry has not been smooth sailing. They have to face triple ‘tides’ as they navigate the world – as seafarers, as Third World migrants and as women,” said UP Journalism Professor Lucia P. Tangi.

“On board the world’s most ostentatious and expensive luxury liners, Pinays have to battle exploitation, discrimination and sexual harassment in exchange for the dollars and euros, and the signature shirts and bags that they send to their families,” added the former journalist and migrant.

The panel of reactors include Alejandro Padaen, director POEA adjudication division; Connie Regalado, chair, Migrante International; Johnny Oca, vice president Associated Marine Officers and Seafarers Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP); Milton Unso, president, Mariners Association for Regional and International Networking Organization (MARINO); and Elena Sana, executive director of the Center for Migrants Advocacy.

Rising number of Pinay seafarers

POEA figures show that the number of Filipina seafarers in 2007 rose by 2.8 percent to 6,619 from 6,436 in 2006. The number of male seafarers on the other hand dropped by 2.6 percent to 216,874 from 222,575 the previous year. The total number of sea-based workers deployed overseas also dropped last year by 1.4 percent to 226,900 from 230,222 in 2006.

The study shows that the opening of the floodgate to shipboard employment also exposed women to various forms of discrimination, exploitation and sexual harassment. At the recruitment stage, women applicants are already judged based on their youthfulness and beauty.

First-time applicants should not be over 32 years old and should stand 5 feet and two inches for those who wish to work in the utility department while waitresses and bar tenders should be at lest two inches taller. Experience is a plus but not imperative, especially if the applicant has a pleasing personality.

Since women are assigned non-professional and non-technical jobs, their basic pay tends to be lower than that of male seafarers. Women seafarers manage to augment their income through tips and part-time jobs like doing the laundry and cleaning the cabins of Western crewmembers.

Interviews with 12 women seafarers show the following trend in the types of jobs and pay scale of women on board.

Male seafarers are concentrated in professional, technical and labor-intensive jobs on board. Such male jobs are valued more and therefore paid more than “women” jobs at sea. For instance a master or a captain receives from US$7,000 to $9,000 a month while a chief officer receives between US$5,000 to $7,000. Here are the rest of the figures.

Research depicts the systemic discrimination of women in

the maritime sector. Since women are assigned to

positions or jobs reflective or related to their reproductive

and nurturing roles, they tend to receive lower pay. Jobs assigned to women are also considered “non- professional” and unskilled and the salaries are not covered by the minimum wage set by the International Labor Organization.

In the last meeting on the Joint Maritime Commission’s subcommittee on wages of seafarers on February 2006, the members recommended the basic minimum wage of the able seafarer to be raised to US$515 as of January 1, 2007, to US$530 as of January 1, 2008 and to US$545 as of December 31, 2008.

Work Hours, Load, Underemployment

The researcher also discovered that women seafarers work on the average between 10 to 14 hours a day. The length of hours of work often depends on the department and the type of jobs that they perform. Those in utility for instance have to clean 16 to 18 cabins a day, which takes about 9 to 10 hours to complete.

Women seafarers interviewed all claimed that they do not have a day off, only short breaks during the day even when their ship is on port. A crewing manager interviewed also confirmed this. “Everyday is a Monday,” he said. Interviewees also claimed that they were not given sick leave either.

The working hours of women seafarers are definitely long compared to the standard set by Philippine authorities. Section 10 of the POEA Standard Terms and Conditions Governing the Employment of Filipino Seafarers on Board Ocean Going Vessels stipulates: “The seafarer shall perform not more than forty-eight (48) hours of regular work a week.” It also specifies that a day worker shall “observe eight (8) regular working hour during the period from 0600 hours to 1800 hours.”

The standard set by the POEA in the contract are in line with ILO conventions.

Just like their land-based counterparts, women seafarers often end up in jobs either below the course or degree they finished or totally unrelated to their educational background. In various parts of the world public school teachers, college graduates, end up as domestic workers and caregivers. The same form of exploitation exists in the maritime industry. Out of the 12 women interviewed, around 60 percent have a college education.

A licensed physical therapist that used to work at the St Louis Hospital now works as a massage therapist for a luxury liner, giving Swedish massage and facials to both male and female passengers. Another seafarer finished a college degree in customs brokerage and administration but now works on board inspecting not the cargoes but the linens, dressers and toilets of cruise passengers.

Waitresses and bartenders interviewed are graduates of tourism courses but prefer to take orders from customers instead of managing resorts back home because of the tips.

Sexual Harassment, Maternity and Health

All the women interviewees claimed that they learned about sexual harassment during the familiarization tour of the ship. During the orientation, they are informed about the various forms of harassment and are encouraged to file a complaint with their immediate supervisor. Despite this, Filipino women seafarers continue experience various forms of sexual harassment from sexist remarks, sexual advances and sex-related behaviour. The frequency of sexual harassment could not be gauged in the study but around half of the interviewees admitted that they had experienced it more than once on board. Sexist jokes and comments are the most common types of harassment.


Among women seafarers’ countless fears, getting pregnant on board perhaps ranks foremost. Once confirmed by the doctor on board, a woman’s contract is automatically terminated. The shipping company pays for her return ticket and she gets a two-month salary. This maternity benefit is granted to seafarers who belong to unions like AMOSUP, an affiliate of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF).

According to the guidelines set by ITF, if a pregnant seafarer is sailing under the flag of her own country, she will be covered by her country’s legislation. But when a seafarer is sailing under a flag of convenience, maternity benefits depend on the laws of the flag state. “All ITF-approved agreements for merchant vessels stipulate that pregnant seafarers must be repatriated at the cost of the company and must receive two months full pay in compensation

Empowering Pinay Seafarers

The Philippines is among the first countries in the world to ratify the UN Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). It is also the world’s number one supplier of seafarers. Despite these twin factors, the country has been too slow in ensuring the empowerment of women in the maritime industry. To this day, the Philippines has not produced a single woman captain and industry experts believe that the country may have to wait another five years before we produce one.

To ensure empowerment of women in the maritime sector, the following recommendations are being made:

More scholarships should be given to women to encourage them to enrol in maritime schools.

Maritime schools should improve their recruitment strategy in order to dispel stereotypes on seafarers as barako (all-male), with “a girl in every port.” Encourage women cadets/graduates to speak about their experiences.

Women’s desks should be set up in unions in order to encourage more women to be actively involved in union activities.

If possible, women should be encouraged to set up an independent union to fight for their rights and benefits.

It is also recommended that local unions support the ITF campaign for the abolition of the Flag of Convenience system of registration in order to protect Filipino seafarers from exploitation and discrimination. Fighting this FOC system in the maritime industry is going to be a long and hard battle but an international struggle would go a long way.