A Survey on the Working Conditions and Improvement Measures for Female Seafarers in Japan

Abstract

 Japan’s declining birthrate and aging population led to the increased employment of female seafarers. Yet, the percentage of female seafarers is still low. To further understand this context, a survey about the employment of female seafarers was conducted at 23 Japanese shipping companies. Responses revealed that these companies were reluctant to hire females because of the following concerns: sexual harassment, female employees’ tendency to resign due to childbirth and childcare, as well as capital investment.

 We propose the following solutions to promote female employment. The first is the implementation of the Revised Female’s Participation Promotion Act which includes certification and provision of tax reductions to companies with policies implementing of female participation. The second is the reemployment and continued employment of experienced female seafarers as well as the promotion of reemploying females in related fields such as faculty members at training organizations, research positions, and operators of maneuvering simulators. This requires continuous employment and remote work during childcare and transitioning to work environments conducive to raising children as part of a family, the local community, and the society as a whole.