MARITIME companies are aligning diversity, equity and inclusion with their business strategies but are still maturing in equipping employees to reflect those traits in the workplace, a new report has found.
The insights report, released on Tuesday, is the first ever from the All Aboard Alliance, an initiative of the Global Maritime Forum.
The report looks at progress and challenges among 27 member companies committed to principles relating to accountability, equipping people for inclusion, creating a culture of equity and belonging, monitoring their DEI journeys and communicating progress.
GMF said many companies are still starting out on diversity, equity and inclusion journeys, but the report showed “encouraging signs” that member companies are trying to address problems such as “pain points” for women in maritime, outlined in an earlier report.
“This very first All Aboard Insights on diversity, equity and inclusion is a powerful testament to our collective resolve to examine the prevailing biases, systemic barriers, and historical inequalities that have hindered progress across the industry and within companies,” All Aboard Alliance co-chair Su Yin Anand said.
The report found companies have advanced furthest in meeting the first principle, which is to appoint a business sponsor to lead and ensure accountability of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organisation.
However, it found member companies were less mature when it comes to equipping employees to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and communicating their DEI commitment and progress to external audiences.
GMF noted the All Aboard Alliance principles have existed for around a year, so companies are still in the early stages of implementing them.
“The self-assessments clearly demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion among member companies and a genuine desire to make necessary changes,” GMF project director for human sustainability Susanne Justesen said.
All Aboard Alliance co-chair Mikael Skov said progress would not be achieved through rhetoric or superficial gestures.
“We must comprehensively re-evaluate our practices, policies, and organisational cultures to foster an environment where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive, providing equal access to training, mentorship, and advancement opportunities,” he said.
