The ΑΤALANTA Project has completed an extensive gap analysis to identify both the gaps and the challenges that women face in the blue economy and the maritime industry, particularly in relation to their training opportunities and career progress.
The analysis was conducted through interviews, involving women from different professional backgrounds and focus groups across the maritime ecosystem. Their insights and experiences highly contributed to the better understanding of the existing gender-related challenges within this sector.
The findings brough out several key barriers and challenges that still affect women’s participation and advancement in maritime professions, including:
- Persistent stereotypes and gender norms in the maritime sector
- Limited access to practical and experiential operational training
- Challenges related to workplace culture, discrimination, and psychological safety
- Lack of mentorship, visible female role models, and structured career progression pathways
- The growing importance of inclusive and immersive learning approaches, including XR technologies
These findings will serve as a foundation for the ATALANTA next steps and will support the creation of:
- An inclusive maritime training curriculum
- Immersive VR/AR-bsed training scenarios
- Structured mentorship and networking opportunities through the ATALANTA ‘Women Rise Package’.
Through these activities ATALANTA aims to contribute to a more inclusive, supportive, and future-oriented maritime ecosystem that empowers women and promotes equal opportunities across the blue economy sector.
