How many female ship captains are there?

How many female ship captains are there? Seriously, I googled it the other day and nearly choked on my coffee. Only 8.42%? Eight point four two percent?! That's... I don't even know what that means in real terms, you know? It’s like, imagine a crew of a hundred – maybe eight women. Eight. Out of a hundred. That's crazy. It feels so wrong. I mean, I have a friend, Sarah, who's a brilliant engineer – absolutely killing it in her field, always has been. She'd be amazing on a ship, she's got nerves of steel. So why isn’t she a captain? Where are all the Sarahs out there?

It just screams unfairness, doesn't it? Like, this isn't some obscure hobby, this is a huge industry! And they're missing out on half the population's potential – a massive pool of untapped talent. It's not just about fairness either; it's just plain dumb from a business perspective, right? Surely diverse crews lead to better outcomes. Different perspectives, different approaches to problems – you get more creative solutions.

I remember reading this article, maybe last year, about a study that showed companies with more gender diversity tend to be more profitable. Something like that. They were pretty conclusive. Makes you wonder why the shipping industry is seemingly ignoring all this. It's like they're stuck in the 1950s. We've got to do better. We need scholarships, mentorship programs, actively recruiting women. Maybe even some serious policy changes. Something's gotta give. Because this 8.42%? That's just unacceptable. And frankly, it's depressing.