Human Rights Commission: "The Practice of Selecting Mainly Male Shipboard Trainees Constitutes Gender Discrimination"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The National Human Rights Commission has ruled that selecting shipboard trainees predominantly from male students constitutes discrimination.

On the 13th, the Human Rights Commission announced that it recommended the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries and A University to devise measures to improve the ratio of female students in field training to be on par with that of male students. The commission also recommended practical improvement measures for female seafarers and the establishment of gender statistics for licensed maritime officers.

Earlier, the commission received a petition stating that the proportion of female students selected for field training, conducted by A University?a national university?through private shipping companies, was significantly lower than that of male students. The petitioners argued, "Field training is closely linked to employment after graduation, so female students with fewer field training opportunities are at a disadvantage compared to male students in employment and other areas," and claimed that "allowing such practices to continue constitutes gender discrimination."

A University responded, "The shipping sector has traditionally been male-dominated due to the nature of working in isolated environments for extended periods," and added, "Since shipping companies bear the overall costs of field training, the university cannot compel private companies to increase the allocation ratio for field training." However, the Human Rights Commission judged that the practice of favoring male students in the shipping labor market for training and recruitment is an issue that must be actively corrected.

The commission stated, "The preference for males reinforces a structure that systematically excludes women from the shipping labor market, so action is necessary," and added, "The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries also needs to establish gender statistics for licensed maritime officers and prepare practical improvement measures and policy grounds to enhance gender equality in the shipping sector."

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