HEMISPHERIC SEMINAR: CHALLENGES OF THE WOMAN

IN PORTS IN THE XXI CENTURY

Women facing technological advances and automation in ports

What is globalization?

• Definition: – the intensification of

worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and v.v. (Anthony Giddens).

Effects of technological advances and automation

• Who ?– Low- and semi- skilled

employees;

• What?– Job: labor v.s.

machine

cont`d

• Which jobs?– “traditional men jobs”

• Operations, i.e. :– container/ machines

v.s. less dockworkers;

– cranes/ forklift trucks v.s. manpower;

– “women jobs”• administration, i.e.:

– the computer has displaced women working in office;

– eventually technological advances and automation leads to unemployment.

How to avoid women becoming displaced and unemployed

• Empowering women: – Education;– Training/ retraining;

• New opportunity: “traditional men jobs”.

Efforts

• UN:– IMO;

• Women in Development Programme (1989);

– ILO;• Dock Work Convention

and Recommendation concerning the Social Repercussions of New Methods of Cargo Handling in Docks;

The Surinamese Perspective

• Surinamese women participation in Maritime programmes: – IMO Women In

Development Programme (2);

– OAS (1);

Suriname Port Management Company

• State owned;• Union;• Barrier: low-/ semi

skilled personnel;

Women employment

• In the port management company:– 1971: 0 women:

• Technical/ operations;• Now: 45 women out of 170 (= 26. 47 %):

– 5 in technical/ operations;

– In technical training: 1 (Belgium);

• Port related: – port state control officer: 1;– In training: 2 pilots.

cont’d

• In the port community (highly educated):– 2008: 1st Managing director

shipping administration, stevedoring and trucking company, terminal operator;

• In the port related institutions: – Port state control (1);– Pilots in training (2).

Conclusions

• Women are the most vulnerable in the division of labor;

• Education and training is the answer to women facing technological advances and automation in ports;