Sexual Misconduct at Sea: The Unspoken Problem Shipping Must Face

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Sexual misconduct, harassment and abuse at sea are not new problems, but much of what happens onboard may never reach a formal reporting system. If maritime wants to create safer, more inclusive careers at sea, understanding what is not being reported may be just as important as understanding what is.

In this episode of Sea Views, Julia Gosling is joined by Susanne Justesen, Director of Human Sustainability at the Global Maritime Forum, and Jeremy Sutton, Chief Executive of Swire Shipping and newly announced co-chair of the All Aboard Alliance, to examine the thinking behind Unspoken, an initiative designed to build a clearer picture of abuse and misconduct at sea through the lived experiences of seafarers.

Unspoken invites seafarers of all ranks and trades to share their experiences anonymously and confidentially, with a particular focus on sexual misconduct. The initiative is not intended to replace existing grievance procedures, whistleblowing systems or company reporting channels, but to understand the experiences those systems may never capture and use that knowledge to help develop practical global standards for prevention, response and accountability.

The discussion also looks closely at psychological safety, because people are unlikely to speak openly if they believe the personal risks of reporting are greater than the potential benefits. Susanne explains why trust in the process matters just as much as trust in colleagues or management, while Jeremy brings the perspective of a major shipping company working to turn industry collaboration into measurable change onboard.

The conversation explores how the All Aboard Alliance is bringing maritime companies together to develop shared standards, why sexual misconduct should not be treated solely as a women's issue, how companies can learn from one another, and why recruitment, retention, crew wellbeing and inclusion are not simply moral questions but serious business issues.

Jeremy also shares how working with the Alliance changed Swire Shipping's approach to improving gender balance onboard, including a move towards higher concentrations of women on fewer vessels rather than spreading small numbers across a wider fleet. Swire Shipping has set a target for women to represent 20% of its seafarers by 2030, compared with 15% currently.

Looking further ahead, Susanne discusses the ambition to develop recognised industry standards around safety, health, inclusion and wellbeing, with the possibility that accountability could eventually extend through the wider maritime supply chain and influence the decisions made by major cargo owners and brands.

In this episode:

• Why traditional reporting systems may capture only part of the picture
  
  
• How Unspoken collects anonymous and confidential lived experiences
  
  
• Sexual misconduct, harassment and abuse at sea
  
  
• Why psychological safety depends on trust in the reporting process
  
  
• Why Unspoken does not replace existing company reporting channels
  
  
• How shipping companies can turn collaboration into practical change
  
  

Learn more about the Unspoken initiative and share an experience anonymously and confidentially:
https://unspokenproject.org

Read the All Aboard Alliance 2030 Strategy:
https://assets.ctfassets.net/gk3lriml...

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Make an incident report to CHIRP Maritime here

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by Ahoy Communications Ltd