As the maritime industry continues to evolve, attracting and supporting diverse talent is becoming increasingly important to innovation, leadership and long-term success. In recognition of the International Day for Women in Maritime, Berg Propulsion colleagues Amrita Singh, Account Manager, New Sales, and Kajsa de Mello, Operations Director, share their perspectives on inclusion, leadership and the opportunities shaping the future of the maritime sector.

From personal role models and career experiences to the importance of representation and equal opportunity, their reflections highlight both the progress being made and the work that still remains to ensure a stronger and more inclusive maritime industry for the next generation.

Have there been any females that have inspired you in your career? Perhaps you can name a role model inside and outside of the maritime industry?

Amrita Singh

“My mother is my strongest role model raising me and my sister as a young widow. She knows compassion, how to deal with anger and difficult situations but most importantly, how to stay grounded/humble. She always taught us that there is no difference between a man and a woman and that is how I lead my life today. I feel like I can do everything anyone else can (if I WANT to). Within the maritime industry, I have been deeply inspired by the women out at sea. One such example is Ms Pauline Semey chief engineer at French LDA. She shared a lot of stories out from sea and how men from different cultures perceive women of higher engineering ranks. Besides many stereotypical perceptions, she is an excellent example of perseverance and inspiration.”

Kajsa de Mello

“Pia Sundhage, according to FIFA was the world’s best women soccer coach in 2012. She is not afraid, talks with confidence, dares to take on challenges and is very authentic. And if she wants to do something, she does it. It doesn’t seem to me like she thinks too much about what others might think about it.”

What initiatives has Berg Propulsion implemented to create a more inclusive and diverse work environment, and how does the company support and encourage its female workforce generally?

Amrita Singh

“For me personally, I feel like at Berg Propulsion we do not differentiate between men and women. We are just professionals trying to achieve the same goal, delivering world class propulsion system to our customers. I have a background within civil engineering and there you would be reminded every now and then that you are a woman and that made one more conscious. I have never felt like that at BERG and I have only felt like a competent person whom is entrusted to represent the company.”

Kajsa de Mello

“I think the best initiative Berg has taken to create diversity when it comes to gender is to hire women and give them freedom to act; it’s not more complicated than that. It’s very easy to fall back to old habits of hiring men in an industry dominated by men and continue to make women just support the men.”

“It’s also important to create space and recognition in both meetings and different social media. Berg is doing a great job there letting women take leadership in projects and meetings, letting women travel and be at exhibitions, and representing the company in different ways e.g, at events.”

What unique challenges do women face in the maritime industry, and how could these be overcome?

Amrita Singh

“I believe there could be a big difference between seagoing professionals and “office” staff. People may believe that woman cannot travel and be away from their children, but society is changing fast, many of us do not want to have children and that is a trend which the generation prior to mine may not have considered an option. Also, in countries such as Sweden it is very normal that the “husband” takes responsibility of the children for an equal amount of time as the “wife”. The best way to overcome the challenges is to keep working together and inspiring everybody that anyone can do anything that they want to. Keep employing people based on their merits. I think woman of BERG illustrate that there is no right gender for a role.”

Kajsa de Mello

“The first challenge a woman will face is that women are not hired. I have experienced myself when the recruiter called back and frankly said they didn’t dare to hire me. I didn’t match the standard candidate, and the team wouldn’t have accepted me. To overcome that the industry needs to be brave. Just do it. Just hire. If you look at education, grades etc. women usually exceed men, so no excuses there.”

“An example of getting more women candidates when hiring is to push the consultant companies. When you ask for CV:s, set the requirement that for every male CV they send, they should send a female CV as well. It works; I have tried. The number of female candidates suddenly increased. By doing that the chance of increasing diversity is much higher.”

What advice would you give to young women who are interested in pursuing a career in the maritime sector? 

Amrita Singh

“I would not want them to see themselves as women, I would like to see themselves as competent and curious individuals wanting to achieve the same goal by working together.”

Kajsa de Mello

“Say yes, don’t hesitate. The maritime sector is a fantastic place to be in. Be clear about your skills, talk about them and use them. Many people (colleagues and others) don’t expect you to always have the right knowledge. Even so, presenting yourself (e.g. in a meeting) is key, so learn to talk about what your responsibility is and what your skills are. Otherwise, you will easily be taken for a student or an HR person depending on age.”

“Secondly, learn new things and connect with people in the organization you work well with. This will make you and the company better and increase the possibility of improvements.”

In your opinion, how has the landscape of opportunities for women in maritime evolved over the years and what needs to change to ensure further progress in an industry where they continue to be underrepresented?

Amrita Singh

“I see a positive trend with more woman out at sea but also in positions where we have generally been male dominated. I believe this is due to a shift in generation. One important point is to have leaders that do not gender discriminate. Luckily, we do not have that within our company and that allows women to grow naturally.”

Why is accelerating action on women’s rights and gender equality now more important than ever?

Amrita Singh

“There are unfortunately parts of the world where there is no push for women to be recognised as competent individuals. I think it is most critical to focus on these areas to make sure that these women have a chance to decide what they want to do in their life.”

Kajsa de Mello

“It’s about values and money. It’s well known that companies that are more gender equal also benefit business wise. So money should talk. But it’s also about values. Every company has core values that claim respect, teamwork and so on. If the company is serious about their values, not hiring a woman is acting against their values.”

What does the theme “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence” mean to you in the context of gender equality?

Amrita Singh

“To me that talks about bringing policy to action by enforcing quotas etc and reserving certain number of positions for other genders? Not sure though.”

How can we balance urgent action with sustainable, long-term progress for women’s rights/gender equality?

Amrita Singh

“I think empowering women with education and inspiration that women can do anything is very important. Additionally, is to educate men that women can achieve the same results.”

Kajsa de Mello

“Long term we need to be present in schools, and universities to show what kind of future jobs are available and why the maritime industry is fantastic. And we need to start early in high school to talk with girls about possibilities in the technical areas. Being active on social media is key, and I don’t see that at all.”

“Once you are working in the Maritime Industry, I think it depends on which country you’re in. It’s not the same challenges in Sweden compared to other countries. In Sweden it’s a lot about giving women a chance to get in and attracting young people. In many other countries support with daycare or no travel during weekends is more important since the country’s governmental social support is very different.”

How can individuals take action to contribute to accelerating gender equality, both personally and professionally?

Amrita Singh

“Start by not differentiating and respecting each other’s choices in life. Lead by inspiration. Highlight/lift women that inspire without specifically mentioning that she is highlighted because she is a woman. Not mentioning that we are inspired by a certain gender is a form of nudging and not pushing to associating a role to a gender.”

Kajsa de Mello

“If you are in the position, hire women. Secondly, always ask yourself if the women in the team are being listened to, ask them questions and give them the opportunity to take on new challenges.”

Where do you see the most significant opportunities to accelerate action for women’s rights/gender equality in the next 5 to 10 years?

Amrita Singh

In the maritime context, we will see more women out at sea due to the inspirational individuals who have proven that their choice of work is not associated to their gender. Show that these people exist to inspire more individuals through media coverage or examples of the different roles that exist where both men and women have excelled.