Studies show that investing in women is the most effective way to advance communities, companies, and even countries.

With women representing just 1.2% of the global seafarer workforce, AMSA is proud to proactively support an increase female participation in the maritime industry.

We have several initiatives underway to achieve this, in addition collaborative efforts in several international initiatives, one of which was to support the IMO’s establishment of an International Day for Women in Maritime, with first set for 18 May this year.

One of our initiatives to build women’s participation in the domestic maritime sector is a scholarship program to provide maritime scholarships and cadetships for women, including a Women in Maritime Engineering Scholarship.

The program helps build skills and support future maritime professionals, while encouraging young women to enter the industry.

The 2020 and 2021 AMSA Women in Maritime Engineering Scholarship recipients are Hayley Bellinger and Shelby Hewins, both of whom study at the University of Tasmania.

We asked Hayley and Shelby about their career aspirations and what it’s like to be young women in maritime, in the hope of aspiring other young women.

Learn what they had to say.