Posted by Elizabeth Simenstad
Greetings friends,
It has been a rough few weeks for our community. We have been in shock since the story of Midshipman X came to light last month, and our hearts are broken for her and for so many people who have experienced sexual assault and harassment at sea. We have built a long-overdue SA/SH Support Page on the Sea Sisters website, and opened a helpline email that can be reached at any time via help@seasisters.org where volunteers will soon be standing by to talk and offer support; Sea Sisters is working to secure victim advocacy training for our helpline volunteers.
We encourage survivors of sexual assault to report abuse, share their stories, and seek mental health counseling in the wake of an attack. We are also working closely with fellow industry leaders to enact permanent legislative changes to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again. Women deserve a safe working environment: enough is enough.
—
In other news, our fellow sea sister and site contributor Catherine has written a piece on how she handles work-life balance and the risk of burnout, which I think many of us can agree has been a major challenge during the ongoing covid pandemic and the many negative effects it has had on our lives, both at home and at work.
Things have been a bit quiet on the airwaves here at Sea Sisters for the past few months, which I'm sorry to say is due to some personal/health struggles on my end. I have written a post about these struggles, which you can read on my contributor section of the Sea Sisters site. I share my experiences here because they are entwined with my maritime career as well as my position at Sea Sisters, and I want to assure our readers that we are still committed to supporting our community, through the good times and the bad. I am also committed to destigmatizing clear and open discussions about mental health struggles, and I want you to know that you are never alone in your pain - we are here any time you need to talk. *Be aware that the essay discusses topics that may be uncomfortable or alarming to some readers, so please read at your discretion.
We are ready to get back to work and we look forward to moving ahead on our projects and programs. If you ever have questions or thoughts you'd like to share with us, you can contact us through the website or reach us at info@seasisters.org, and we will get back to you. Take care out there.
Warm regards,
Elizabeth
Attend the 4th-Annual Women Offshore Conference on November 5th & 12th!
This year, Women Offshore will host a virtual conference on November 5th and 12th. Over two days, attend keynote speeches and panel discussions that focus on resilience. Be inspired through interactive sessions and workshops, network with others, and share your ideas!
Today is the last day to register for November 5th or VIP Access (both days of the conference), and registration will close for November 12th (second day of the conference only) 48 hours before the event starts. Register at Womenoffshore.org
IOMM&P Forms Women's Caucus
We are pleased that the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots has formed a Women's Caucus to support their female membership. They have released this statement:
“A new MM&P Women’s Caucus has been formed to support equal rights and demand safe workspaces. The mission statement of the Women’s Caucus is as follows.
The mission of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots Women’s Caucus is to effect change to assure equal rights, respect and safety for all mariners and workers in the maritime industry.
We will advocate for and actively support women’s rights, professional development, networking, and the discussion of all issues specific to women in maritime, including cisgender and transgender women, femmes, and nonbinary people within MM&P and throughout the maritime industry.
Our focus is to listen and take critical steps to make necessary adjustments. We will take purposeful action to demand a safe, harassment-free work environment and culture that is designed to protect all workers in our industry and support them in reaching their full potential.
This will inspire new business practices that must be implemented throughout every corner of our Organization to enhance mariners’ rights and interests throughout our industry."
We hope to see other unions follow this example! You can contact the IOMM&P Women's Caucus by emailing womenscaucus@bridgedeck.org. They are currently recruiting volunteers to help members in need of support on their Warm Line. They will also be in attendance at the Women Offshore Conference November 5 & 12!
Thank you for reading, and fair winds to you,
Sea Sisters