Impacts of CSR on Women in the Maritime Sector

Abstract

This chapter offers a comprehensive view of the development of women’s integration in the maritime sector and examines the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives by shipping companies on gender equality and equity in shipping. CSR often includes gender equality within their diversity policies in line with other CSR elements. However, this paper argues that the inclusion of gender issues within a wider norm of diversities might have weakened the voice of women. The impact of CSR also seems to be limited to large shipping companies only, because medium and small firms are unlikely to be motivated due to their smaller business scales for the promotion of women. The paper recognises the need of combined efforts from both legal and social initiatives to promote women in the maritime industry. A cooperation between public and private sectors will create a synergy effect to promote maritime women from international to national levels.