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Posted by David Sexton
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20 May, 2026
FROM strategy to impact: empowering women in the maritime world was the theme of a panel lunch in Melbourne this week to mark 2026 IMO International Day for Women in Maritime.
The lunch was held at the RACV Club in Melbourne CBD and organised by Shipping Australia and WISTA.
The panellists were manager of seafarer certification services at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Michelle Grech, A.P. Moller-Maersk head of operations Fleur Walsh and ANL general manager Ekaterina Khramova.
Asking the tough questions was Elva Zhang, ANL senior shipping legal counsel.
Panellists described their experiences in the shipping industry, positive and challenging.
Asked to summarise the shipping industry in a single word, answers included "intoxicating", "rewarding", "resilient" and "frustrating".
Ms Walsh noted how progress towards gender equality had occurred in shipping, however “we are just not there yet”.
Ms Khramova spoke of ‘resilient’ in terms of “finding my voice” and working through challenges, ultimately working in an environment where “what we do truly matters”.
“Some of the greatest growth comes from the most challenging situations,” she said.
Dr Grech spoke about her early days as a marine engineer in Malta, a profoundly macho environment where she was the “first and only” woman in the shipyard at the time.
An older male engineer (who later became mentor) initially assumed she wouldn’t last and Dr Grech derived satisfaction from not only proving him wrong but helping change his mindset.
“Over time our relationship changed. That is what I think is really important because it shows me that exposure and experience can shift mindsets and the environment had its changes.”
Dr Grech said working in the shipyard meant “learning to back myself”.
“There were situations where I was denied opportunities simply because I was a woman.
“At the shipyard I was a commissioning engineer and was told, ‘sorry, you’re not allowed to go on sea trials’.
“So, I remember thinking, I need to challenge this…. Ultimately I went on sea trials and it proved that [women] could do it too.”
View images from the event.
