Women in Africa’s maritime space

The report identifies cultural, structural, and workplace barriers that marginalise women in the male-dominated maritime sector in Africa. It highlights a critical lack of gender-disaggregated data and the phenomenon of 'sea blindness' as obstacles to visibility and recruitment. Using South Africa as a primary case study, the report suggests that the United Nations' Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda can provide a framework for improving women's inclusion. Key recommendations include launching public awareness campaigns, implementing gender-sensitive budgeting, and creating mentorship programmes to bridge the gender gap.

• The maritime sector remains heavily male-dominated, with women comprising only about 2% of the global seafarer workforce. This underrepresentation has not seen significant change over the last ten years.
• A critical lack of gender-specific and sex-disaggregated data prevents an accurate assessment of women's needs and realities in the maritime space, effectively rendering them invisible within the sector.
• The phenomenon of 'sea blindness'—where states and the private sector fail to appreciate the economic and security value of the maritime environment—contributes to the perception of maritime careers as unattractive or exclusively male.
• Women in the maritime sector face severe workplace challenges, including discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence, often exacerbated by patriarchal organisational cultures.
• The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, while successful in the peace and security sector, currently lacks a conceptual link to maritime security, representing a missed opportunity to increase the visibility of women's challenges at sea.
• South Africa has seen specific milestones in women's maritime leadership, such as the first Black South African female to command a naval vessel in 2015 and the first female submarine officer in Africa, though women still primarily occupy supporting roles.
• The 'Blue Economy' approach, focusing on sustainable ocean resource use, is identified as a potential vehicle for the economic and political empowerment of women in Africa.

APA

Reva, D., & Kumalo, L. (2020). Women in Africa’s maritime space. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-39.pdf

Chicago

Reva, Denys, and Liezelle Kumalo. Women in Africa’s maritime space. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-39.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Reva |first1=Denys |last2=Kumalo |first2=Liezelle |title=Women in Africa’s maritime space |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=June 2020 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-39.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reva2020women, author = {Reva, Denys and Kumalo, Liezelle}, title = {{Women in Africa’s maritime space}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-39.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }