“At the age of 10, I told my dad that I am going to be just like him one day. 16 years later, I proudly told him, ‘Dad, I’ve made it!’”
Abdul Rahman, 61, worked as a seafarer. He would be away at sea often, gathering new experiences and stories to tell his three children, who were waiting for him at home. One of his children took a liking to his tales. His stories ignited a strong passion for the job in the child and has inspired the child to follow in Mr Rahman’s footsteps in the following years.
In the stories that he told, it was clear that being a seaman is no easy feat. Long months out at sea, away from your family. Horizons that are just a sea of endless blue, literally. And responsibilities that require the utmost dedication as a single mistake could be lethal.
Mr Abdul Rahman would share stories of him at sea to his daughter, Ms Siti Nasuha.
What he did not mention, for he has not experienced it himself, was the challenge that his child would face when she realised that she would be the only female onboard a male-dominated ship.
At 26 and with a strong desire to follow in her father’s footsteps, Mr Rahman’s daughter, Siti Nasuha, felt ready to venture into an industry that is not easily accessible to females.
Siti began her journey after a career switch, when she joined the Tripartite Nautical Trainee Award (TNTA) program. Classes were conducted in Wavelink Maritime Institute for pre-sea lessons. After completion of the prerequisite of 18 months sea time, she entered the final phase in Singapore Polytechnic, undertaking Nautical Studies for 6 months before she was eligible to sit for her Certificate of Competency Class 3 (CoC 3) oral and simulator.
The view of the navigator inside the ship.
“My company currently only has three female officers including myself. And I am lucky enough to have sailed with the two other officers during my journey in this company,” she said.
Only an estimated two per cent of the world’s maritime workforce is female. Out of that two per cent, only half are sailors. The other half are in the cruise sector, which is stereotypically deemed as the more ‘female-appropriate’ job. It is not easy for women to obtain a job in the maritime industry, especially because there are still many maritime education and training institutions who are not allowed to recruit women to nautical courses. In fact, it was not until 1988 when the International Maritime Organisation introduced a gender and capacity-building programme, which has helped support access to Maritime training and employment opportunities for women.
Siti mentions that during most of her voyages, she would be the only female on board but her role is no less than that of her male counterparts’. Siti is entrusted with the responsibility of a bosun, navigating the ship safely from port to port. She is also in charge of charts, sailing publications, more importantly, fire fighting equipment, acting as the team leader of one of the two fire stations they have on the ship during fire drills.
Ms Siti Nasuha leading her crewmates near one of the two fire stations on board, during a fire drill.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” She beamed.
Amazing, it is.
Empowered with rights
Gender inequality in the workforce is not a foreign social issue.
In the early 20th century, many American women were banned from working, much less voting. They were to ‘stick to their roles’ by staying at home and taking care of the house and the kids because that was all they were good at in a patriarchal society. It was a man’s world.
During the mid-1800s, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the first leaders of the women’s rights movement in the United States of America (USA), took a stand against inequality. She became the driving force of the first convention that discussed women’s rights in 1848, called the Seneca Falls Convention.
Elizabeth believed that “we hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men and women are created equal”, adding the word ‘women’ to the original declaration that was written on the USA's declaration of independence.
After a long, tiresome battle, America’s 19th amendment, which prohibits the states and the government from denying the rights to vote based on their gender, was ratified on Aug 18, 1920, and women were finally granted the rights to vote. Women were also offered more opportunities to participate in the economy from the 1930s.
Since then, massive progress has been made and female icons were produced to create an impact by proving to the world that women are just as, if not more, competent as men.
Amelia Earhart, a world-renowned American aviator was the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932.
Valentina Tereshkova, a Russian cosmonaut became the first woman to go to space in 1963 on the Vostok 6 mission. She spent up to three days in space, orbiting earth 48 times in her capsule, Vostok 6. She is currently one of the most famous astronauts worldwide.
Still, in certain countries, such as Afghanistan, women still have no easy access to education. On top of that, discrimination and prejudice still exist in male-dominated countries.
Another Singaporean female seafarer, Ms Wan Fei Fei, 38, told The Straits Times that at the initial stage of her career, she faced biases and harassment from her male counterparts when one told her: “This is not a job for women, go home.”
The only Eve among Adams
It is no surprise that working in a male-dominated industry can come with its challenges and concerns. Yet, despite being the only female onboard, her gender was one of the last things Siti was worried about. Safety has always been her number one priority.
“If there are 20 crew onboard, well, we practically only have each other to stay safe,” she said.
Fortunately for Siti, her crewmates treat her fairly most of the time and she rarely faces judgement, though she still receives special treatment from time to time. At the end of the day, she appreciates the extra care her crewmates would offer her.
The crew onboard held a ceremony when they passed the equator.
“Being an Eve, they have a soft spot for me,” she laughed.
Siti’s colleague, Koo Wei Loon, has worked with Siti since September 2016. He feels no different working with a male or a female seafaring colleague. What mattered to him more was that they are competent in completing their tasks.
Although being the only female onboard is not that big of a deal to her, Siti’s mother, Rossilah Ismail, does not share the same sentiments. She mentions that knowing Siti being surrounded by men can be pretty daunting.
“Of course. I was slightly worried because she will most likely be the only female onboard,” Mdm Rossilah stated.
However, after understanding the policies that were put in place by the company for the well-being of their female employees, Mdm Rossilah learned to put most of her worries to rest. However, Mdm Rossilah would still advise Siti to always “stand her ground and to carry herself well”.
Given the range of jobs for her role, Siti admits that even though she is constantly faced with challenges, she switches to a positive mindset to overcome obstacles. Heeding the previous advice from her mother as well as her father’s, she always reminds herself, “do your job well, do your job right.”
As far as the eye can see
When asked about what she plans to do in the future, Siti pondered and stated that she wishes to continue sailing for the next 10 years. As she is still single, she prioritises her work and her family.
Wallenius Marine’s ship, where Siti Nasuha sails for 6 months at a time.
Being away at sea for up to 6 months at a time, she does not get to see her family very often. Thankfully her company offers unlimited Wi-Fi which she relies on to stay connected with her loved ones. She shares that this has allowed her to make video calls back to her parents almost everyday. She even managed to celebrate Hari Raya with her family once via video call.
Ms Siti Nasuha celebrated Hari Raya with her family (left to right: Mr Abdul Rahman, Mdm Rossilah Ismail and her two younger brothers) via video call back in 2017.
In spite of the fact that she places a great deal of importance on family, she currently has no plans on starting a relationship and making a family of her own.
“Having to start a family hasn't really crossed my mind,” she explained.
It is safe to say that Siti has broken the barriers of gender norms by being successful in this patriarchal industry. Moving forward, Siti aims to only better herself and climb up the ranks.
“I am still upgrading myself to becoming a chief mate, and if everything goes well, a captain,” she said.
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