“We have a target of being a gender-neutral organisation by 2030 and have 40% of women in leadership positions. Through our new joint venture Transworld Fleet Management, we will also be aiming to onboard women seafarers on our vessels,” shares Ritesh S Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, Transworld Group of Companies
How has been the business through first half of this year at Transworld Group?
Despite the markets being turbulent, Transworld has managed to sail through the rough ride. The essence of Transworld growth trajectory has been innovation, focussing and not ignoring our core and getting into new frontiers. There are lots of different areas within the logistics and supply chain space offering us score to evolve and build new business ideas. Our supply chain business, for example, the sea freight, air freight, warehousing, 3PL, 4PL, business, has been growing. The plan now is to refocus our energies on increasing the pace of growth. We are also looking at enhancing our global footprint in the Americas, Europe, Africa & Far-East. So, be it through our asset-owning or asset-light businesses, we have always been focused on diversifying our business which has helped us get through the tough times as our dependency on singular products eliminates. This strategy has also helped us in serving our customers better. Our focus is on becoming a complete solutions provider for our customers. Today if a customer asks for any service from Transworld, we can provide first mile to last mile solutions.
Tell us about the gender diversity in Transworld Group and initiatives taken in your company to promote gender diversity?
Gender Equity and Inclusion is one of the focus areas for our organisation that is being driven from the top of the organisation. We have a target of being a gender-neutral organisation by 2030 and have 40 % of women in leadership positions by 2030. To achieve this target, we have adopted a strategic approach and an action plan. We map our diversity information on six monthly basis in the grade category as well as age category for all group companies. This data driven approach helps us understand gap segments and carve out initiatives to be able to mitigate these gaps and promote women participation at all levels. Some of the initiatives undertaken by the company are:
Leadership Readiness
- Establishing an ambassador group for Women participation and Leadership grooming
- Assigning High Potential women with mentors for grooming them to take leadership positions.
- Targets for women in senior leadership – Succession planning, mentoring, management development program
Equal Opportunity and Training
- Targets for gender neutrality – inclusion of CVs from both genders for any post opening
- Extended Maternity Leaves
- Transworld Workday Policy introduced for all where all Fridays are made work from home to enhance work life and social wellbeing.
- Capacity Building – Inhouse Training programs, access to Digital platform (Pankh).
Welfare and Wellbeing
- Giving them access to various fitness apps to take care of their mental and physical fitness.
- Nursing/Lactation rooms
- Preferred parking for pregnant women
Maritime sector for long has carried the image of being a male-dominated industry. Do you see this mind-set changing?
I do see the mindset changing, though we still have a long way to go. It is time to translate discussions into actions. Many organizations are actively working to promote gender equality and diversity within the industry. There is a lot more awareness amongst employers. Platforms like Maritime SheEO are also playing an active role in breaking gender barriers and promoting parity amongst industry members.
Which type of roles in the maritime sector are more suitable for women? What skills should women acquire to increase their chances of employment in the maritime sector?
Though maritime sector has traditionally been male-dominated, in recent years there has been a growing recognition of the importance of diversity and inclusion within the industry. There are many roles within the maritime sector where women can excel. Role suitability depends more on an individual’s skills, interests, and qualifications rather than their gender.
Some of the jobs that can be taken by women are:
Women can excel in various roles within the maritime sector, and suitability depends more on an individual’s skills, interests and qualifications rather than their gender. However some skills to highlight are:
- Technical Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Professional Skills
- Education and Training
- Physical Fitness and Wellness
- Digital Literacy
- Language Skills
- Networking
How do you compare gender diversity in the maritime sector between onshore and offshore jobs?
Gender diversity in on-shore and off-shore are incomparable at the moment across the industry. While there has been an exponential increase in women’s participation in on-shore job and taking leadership positions, there is a long way to reach the same levels in off-shore jobs.
The perceived difference is also because of the nature of work and technical expertise required for the latter. However, there are many young women taking training in maritime and allied industry skills to qualify for off-shore jobs. We as industry members need to step in to further bridge the gap between training and employment. Through our new joint venture Transworld Fleet Management, we will also be aiming to onboard women seafarers on our vessels through their talent pool.
What initiatives should the industry take to attract aspiring women candidates?
First and foremost – the approach that the industry and organisations like us are taking include – awareness, education, behaviour change. There should be a proper focus towards preparedness to make workplace a safe and happy place for all employees with equal opportunities. Progressive policies converted into actionable implementation plans.
What we need is to translate women’s training into employability and ensure provision of solutions successfully addressing the challenges faced by women. Women interested in pursuing a career in the maritime sector should focus on their strengths and passions and seek out opportunities that align with their goals.
