- Group of 26 girls set out on new journey
- Recruits selected irrespective of caste, race or religion
Agroup of 26 girls living in rural parts of the country and from impoverished homes gathered at the premises of a local maritime trade union with much excitement and hope and they were on the verge of embarking on a new journey and if successful in their individual efforts they could reap rich benefits at the end.
Sponsored by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and supported by the National Union of Seafarers Sri Lanka (NUSS), the girls had completed a six-month course of theory and practicals at maritime schools with the hope of securing employment in the seafarer industry in the country and overseas.
Poverty-stricken
NUSS President Boa Athukorale
Known as the Inquisitive Poverty Alleviation Program (IPAP), its purpose is to provide employment to young girls from poverty-stricken homes in rural Sri Lanka irrespective of caste, religion, or race.
Having completed their initial training courses at three private-owned maritime academies in the country the girls will from now on be placed on board vessels for a firsthand experience of the responsibilities that a seafarer must undertake whether it is on board a ship or elsewhere.
Their upkeep at the academies was funded by the ILO. They were even provided a monthly allowance to sustain other expenses that may be required.
This is the fourth such batch of female seafarer cadets that has been sponsored by the NUSS and the ILO and there are ambitious plans to recruit more in the future, said the President of NUSS, Boa Athukorale.
The cadets are carefully selected after interviews and ground investigations to ascertain their basic school qualifications, family background, personal enthusiasm and the financial status in their homes.
Poorest of the poor
“We select the poorest of the poor in a bid to provide them with employment in the industry where they could earn a monthly salary of nearly Rs. 150,000 or more at the beginning of their career.
A sailing Seafarer earns something like Rs. 800,000 per month or even more depending on the recruiting company and the type of vessel and nature of the cargo.
At present there are over 100 active female Sri Lankan seafarers employed in the country’s ports while a few of them have even boarded foreign vessels including cruise liners.
“There are 17,000 active Sri Lankan male seafarers and we would like to boost this number with a female intake and to this end we appreciate the support from the ILO and the encouragement from the Ministry of Ports and Shipping,” Athukorale said.
The seafarer industry has remained male-dominated for centuries and the task ahead of these girls will be no walk in the park as they embark on navigating the tough barriers that lie ahead and their handlers at the NUSS strongly believe that they could make it, if not all, at least most of them.
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Tough road to navigate – Lars Lingdren
“It is inspiring to note the efforts that are being made to train and recruit female Sri Lankan seafarers which is rare for a South Asian country and this is something that must be encouraged to the fullest,” London based senior representative of the International Transport workers’ Federation (ITF), Lars Lingdren said.
ITF Representative Lars Lingdren
He said female seafarers all over the world have a tough road to navigate in this male-dominated industry on one hand and on the other shipping companies are less likely to invest on a female seafarer cadet for more than one reason.
The companies would most likely opt to hire an experienced male but this mindset ought to change if there is to be an improvement in the industry, Lingdren said.
The authorities should also encourage the recruitment of females and it is heartening to note that the Minister of Ports and Aviation, Nimal Siripala de Silva has pledged his fullest support towards this end, he added.
The single largest number of female seafarers is known to be from the Philippines although the exact number cannot be ascertained, Lingdren said.
“I hope this new batch of Sri Lankan female Seafarer cadets will be an inspiration to other girls in the rural impoverished community,” he said.
The ITF is a global trade union with a membership of 19.5 million workers in 700 unions across 150 countries.
