These two important initiatives reflect our intention and willingness as an organisation to embrace the changes needed to bring DEI to the maritime workplace.
Women in Maritime Pledge
Signing up to the UK Maritime ‘Women in Maritime Pledge’ is RightShip’s next step on a journey to becoming a Diversity in Maritime chartered organisation, alongside current signatories including BAE Systems Maritime and Land UK, Hutcheson Ports and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
As part of the pledge, we’ll commit to putting the voices of our female experts out there in the world - ensuring that diversity is introduced to events and speaking opportunities, as it’s thought that a lack of different views can limit the quality of conversation. On top of that, we know that when all visible role models are male, an absence of women perpetuates an absence of women - whereas those who see it, know they can be it.
And we already put these words into action with our CEO, Steen Lund, who declines requests to appear on speaker panels at events where a gender balance is not represented.
All Aboard Alliance
We are also one of 26 founder members of the All Aboard Alliance, launched on 25 May 2022 in Zurich.
This commitment is based around five principles designed to encourage the implementation of internal policies, procedures, and leadership practices connected to DEI. These include appointing a business sponsor to lead and ensure accountability of DEI as well as suitable education for management, supporting them to understand how best to foster the right kind of workplace.
The All Aboard Alliance has four main aims:
We are particularly keen to lend our expertise in data collection - supporting the Alliance to understand the data that needs to be collected, and what can be done with the information to support their aims, once the statistics are collated.
Proud to take part
Purnima Singh, RightShip Chief HR Officer, said: “I am really thrilled that we have committed to these two important pledges. We’re part of a group of companies who have put up their hand and said they will do what needs to be done. We may be small, but together our voices can bring about the change we seek.
“I will be the ‘point person’ for both agreements, but strong allies throughout our organisation are essential to make this work. It’s only with the backing of our CEO, Steen Lund, and the determined allegiance of our colleagues that we will truly be able to move forward in making change happen, creating better and more favourable opportunities for our entire workforce. Gender is just the starting point in our intentions to embrace DEI as a whole.”
RightShip has seen great change already within its own employee make up. Compared to 2018, when the female to male ratio was approximately 20% to 80%, RightShip now employs a female workforce just under 40%.
Purnima added: “We’re making a conscious effort to make sure we’re hiring and retaining women at RightShip - and an important part of that is listening. We recently conducted a staff survey which had a 98% response rate and offered each of our employees the opportunity to respond to a wide range of questions on how ‘included’ they felt and how able they were to contribute to the way that RightShip functions.
“This type of open communication is essential to increasing diversity of all kinds, not just female representation, but other aspects of DEI such as race, religion, sexual orientation, abilities, age, background, appearance, and culture.
“We want to make RightShip a positive and welcoming place to work that celebrates diversity across our workforce.”
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