Promoting Women’s Safety at Sea

Somiyeh’s experience is firmly rooted in education and training. She has been central in building The Nautical Institute Academy to becoming an established academy. She focuses on the development of training which champion effective professional development – specifically in relation to leadership, the human element, competency, mental health, wellbeing, and life-long learning for seafarers.

She is specialising in enhancing leadership and management by improving operational performance through changing management culture.

Deborah Layde is the current Chair of the Women In Maritime Network and Chief Executive of The Seafarers’ Charity. The Seafarers’ Charity is the largest independent grant funder of an eco-system of maritime welfare services for people working at sea – whether on ships, superyachts, cruise ships or fishing vessels. She is a self-declared passionate advocate for the safety and welfare of all seafarers. Having commissioned the research on the Port-Based Welfare Needs of Women Seafarers the charity has used the research to inform their funding of a range of support services for women seafarers, including peer support groups, trauma counselling and emotional and pastoral support.

Karin Staal has over 20 years of experience in maritime. Her career begun onboard Chemical tankers before moving into port state control and onto crew management. Now a self-employed maritime consultant Karin is a behaviour change expert and a member of WISTA International. With her perspective as both crew and company, Karin believes that a happy crew results in fewer incidents, higher safety awareness, efficiency, and more profit.

Georgia Allen is the Projects and Relationships Manager at the International Seafarers'​ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN). ISWAN manages SeafarerHelp and Yacht Crew Help which are both free, confidential, multilingual helplines for seafarers available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. The ISWAN team regularly receive contacts from seafarers requiring guidance and support with personal relationships onboard.

Rebecca Newdick is a working seafarer and founder of Safer Waves. She set up Safer Waves in 2019 in response to a perceived gap in the provision of support for merchant seafarers who have experienced sexual violence, sexual harassment or gender discrimination on board

Paula is the Chief Executive Officer of ‘Salute Her UK’. She has over 15 years' clinical mental health experience and is a qualified Clinical and Pastoral Counsellor and CBT, DBT and Brief Family therapist. During her time at Salute Her UK, Paula has project managed the set-up of the only trauma informed, tri service needs led charity that specialises in gender specific mental health care and Military Sexual Trauma. Since 2023 The Seafarers’ Charity has funded Salute Her UK to expand their services to women working at sea.