Unspoken at Sea: Sexual Misconduct, Psychological Safety & Industry Change | Sea Views

Sexual misconduct, harassment and abuse at sea are not new problems, but much of what happens onboard may never reach a formal reporting system.

In this episode of Sea Views, Julia Gosling is joined by Susanne Justesen, Director of Human Sustainability at the Global Maritime Forum, and Jeremy Sutton, Chief Executive of Swire Shipping and newly announced co-chair of the All Aboard Alliance, to examine Unspoken, an initiative designed to understand the experiences that existing reporting systems may never capture.

Unspoken invites seafarers of all ranks and trades to share their experiences anonymously and confidentially, with a particular focus on sexual misconduct. It is not intended to replace company grievance procedures, whistleblowing channels or established reporting systems, but to build a clearer picture of what is happening at sea and use those lived experiences to help shape stronger approaches to prevention, response and accountability.

The conversation explores why psychological safety depends not only on whether people trust their colleagues or management, but whether they trust what will happen after they speak up; why the personal risks of reporting can sometimes feel greater than the potential benefits; and how maritime companies can work together rather than attempting to solve industry-wide problems in isolation.

Jeremy also discusses how collaboration through the All Aboard Alliance challenged Swire Shipping’s own thinking around gender balance onboard, including a shift towards creating stronger concentrations of female seafarers on fewer vessels rather than spreading small numbers across a wider fleet. Swire Shipping currently has around 15% female seafarers and has set a target of 20% by 2030.

Susanne looks further ahead to the development of recognised standards around safety, health, inclusion and wellbeing, with an ambition to create accountability that extends beyond individual shipowners and ultimately reaches across the wider maritime supply chain.

This is a conversation about the things maritime has too often left unspoken, but also about what can happen when companies are prepared to examine uncomfortable realities, learn from one another and turn that knowledge into measurable change.

Learn more about the Unspoken initiative:
https://unspokenproject.org

Read the All Aboard Alliance 2030 Strategy:
https://assets.ctfassets.net/gk3lrimlph5v/4mY1Sitx0MRyvd4m7Wn8c0/f01901c0919febbd9587d655c57d82cd/All_Aboard_Alliance_2030_Strategy.pdf

Prefer to read? Head to Yachting News on our website.
Prefer to listen? Search “Yachting Channel” on your favourite podcast platform.
Supported by CHIRP Maritime and The Seafarers’ Charity.

🎙️ Sea Views | Yachting International Radio