Gender equality policies for the incorporation of the gender perspective in maritime studies: a case study

Abstract

This paper aims to determine the effectiveness and impact of current gender equality policies, regulations and programmes in the maritime educational sector. To this end, the specific policies and programmes applied at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya·BarcelonaTech (UPC) have been considered. More specifically, a pilot project implemented at the UPC that tries to incorporate the gender perspective in engineering university degrees, has been studied. The outcomes of such a plan on maritime studies have been analysed in order to determine the impact of its implementation. The preliminary results confirm the gender gap in maritime education, which is then transferred to the professional sector, and the need to foster more inclusive gender policiesin MET institutions. Finally, some conclusions have been drawn up to provide some recommendations based on the evidence gathered with the final aim of assisting maritime institutions in making informed decisions on future gender equality actions.