Sailor's Life - Walking on the Waves: Vietnamese Female Sailor on Ocean Ship

Becoming a sailor on an ocean-going ship in Vietnam is no longer just a story for men. Old prejudices have not stopped girls who love the seafaring profession.

Engine Room Girls

Five girls have been awarded the first Certificate of Professional Competency for female crew members in Vietnam since 2021 by the Vietnam Maritime Administration. The last barrier for them to step onto ocean-going ships is gone. Hua Nguyen Hoai Thuong, the first female ocean-going ship engineer I met 3 years ago, has just announced the ship entry date on the occasion of Lunar New Year 2024. The 25-year-old girl, from Bac Lieu , although playful, could not hide her emotions: "I have not dared to tell my parents, in 3 years of sailing, I have had 2 ship Tet holidays". Having passed the Cadet exam (officer internship), Thuong is currently the 4th engineer officer at Trung A Trading Joint Stock Company, Ho Chi Minh City.

Le Nguyen Bao Thu with the goal of becoming the first female captain of an ocean-going ship in Vietnam

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Hoai Thuong was very worried because no company would accept her for an internship after graduating from the marine engineering major. "They refused by making promises and then staying silent," Thuong said. Mr. Nguyen Tran Thuyet, in charge of technical management at Trung A Company, shared the reason why the company accepted new female crew members: "Although they are female, they are not afraid of dirt, not afraid of heat, not afraid to wear protective clothing covered in grease..., and are dedicated to learning. When we proposed to bring a female crew member onto the ship, we encountered many difficulties from the criticism of many organizations and companies in the same field. We also had to research and prepare to learn from state regulations to improve company regulations from daily life to work and rest for female crew members." "I understand that the seniors in the company who supported me to join the ship had to guarantee their honor and responsibility in their work so that I could fulfill my dream. Therefore, I am even more determined," Hoai Thuong confided. The representative of the Central Asia Company also added: "Both female crew members have been at sea for 3 years, on fleets considered the most severe in the industry (liquefied gas and chemical tankers). They have completed the title of operations officer, which even many male crew members find difficult to achieve without great determination."

Hua Nguyen Hoai Thuong, Vietnam's first female ocean-going ship engineer

NGOC DUONG

"Choosing a career means accepting everything"

During a chance meeting with a marine engineering student, Hoai Thuong had the opportunity to chat with Le Vo Thuc Quyen, 24 years old, from Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Quyen shared: "I graduated in April 2023. Although I looked for a job and applied to many companies, the work in marine engineering is hard, so many maritime companies were hesitant to choose women. At that time, I fell into a crisis, thinking that I would not be able to find a job in my major, maybe I would have to study another major to find a job". But luckily, in June 2023, Quyen received her first call from NS United Kaiun Kaisha Ltd (NSU) of the Daily News to interview. They told her to prepare carefully from her professional knowledge to her English. "It is a famous and long-standing company in Japan specializing in transporting ore, large capesize ships ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 tons. And I was accepted to practice as an engineer officer on the ship from October 12, 2023. In February 2024, I will have a voyage to take the exam for the title of 3rd engineer officer with a salary of 3,200 USD/month. Currently, I receive a salary of 700 USD/month for 12 months of internship," Quyen said. What is the reason why shipping companies are hesitant to accept women? "The wrench to tighten the main engine's bolts can weigh up to 20 kg. Or the weight to open the filter weighs 20 - 30 kg, girls can't carry it. The work in the engine room is very hard. Specifically, the chief engineer is in charge of general management, the second engineer is in charge of the main engine, the garbage incinerator, the oil-water separator. The third engineer looks after the lamp engine (generator), manages fuel oil, lubricants, boilers; the fourth engineer makes all kinds of pumps, filters, and air compressors. Therefore, even if you are a woman, you all have to be good at your profession and take on that hard work to meet the job requirements," sailor Phan Ngoc Long (31 years old), from Ho Chi Minh City, said. So what motivates these "weak" girls to continue to stick to the sea? Quyen confided: "Our youth is very short, I want to experience it so that later I won't have any regrets. The biggest regret is studying maritime but not going on a ship."

Thuc Quyen celebrates Tet on a ship for the first time during her officer training period

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After 3 years of sailing, Hoai Thuong plans to become a management officer. She confided: "Ship operations have deck officers and engineers. Each job has its own risks and hardships. On deck, they come into contact with toxic goods, which will affect their health, but that is the price of a very high salary for seafarers. They must have knowledge and comply with maritime regulations to minimize risks for themselves. Choosing a career means accepting everything." Hoai Thuong plans to become an operations officer for 12 months in the next 5 years, with a full 12 months at sea. Le Nguyen Bao Thu is a deck officer working on the fleet of Stolt Tanker Company as Deputy 3. She was also selected for the Scholarship program of the ship owner Stolt Tankers and the Maritime Training and Human Resources Company Limited (UT - STC) from the third year. After completing the graduation program, Thu went to a seaport in Tokyo, Japan to practice on a ship from January 2021. Thu said: "That was the first trip, spanning from the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, passing through the two legendary canals of Panama and Suez. That journey lasted about 8 months, instead of 4 - 5 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so I could not return home on time. The storm in the Atlantic Ocean is what I fear the most. Big waves and strong winds made the ship shake violently, as if it could capsize, lasting for several consecutive days, making it impossible for anyone to rest or eat; but the work still had to be done every day. I spent 2 years celebrating Tet away from home, because there was a lot of work, so I didn't have time to feel sorry for myself. Only in my free time did I take the opportunity to call home to wish my family a happy new year." Thu's motivation for going to sea, as she shared, was because of the high salary and the opportunity to work in a multinational environment, not as constrained as working in an office. The goal of this 25-year-old girl is to continue going to sea and pass the exams to become the first female captain of an ocean-going ship in Vietnam. "The harsh weather conditions in large seas make it impossible for many people to travel long distances. In addition, there are dangerous goods on board that can explode or leak toxic gas if the company's procedures are not followed. And the latest problem is the attacks with high-tech weapons in the Red Sea, pirates from Somalia and Guinea, which are making the crew members on that route worried. Although there is a lot of support from naval ships, when passing through that area, the crew members are all in a state of readiness," Thu sent us a message from a cruise ship on an ocean liner during the Lunar New Year 2024.

Hoai Thuong is currently the fourth engineer officer on an ocean liner.

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Hoai Thuong and Bao Thu - the first two female sailors of Vietnam met by chance in Korea on the 30th of Lunar New Year 2024

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A Japanese crew officer guides Quyen during her Cadet trip.

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According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the number of female seafarers worldwide accounts for only 1.2% of the world's seafaring force (over 1.2 million seafarers). Most women seafarers come from developed countries. The Maritime Institute (Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport) cited research: In the European fleet, the proportion of women working on ships is about 5%, while in Southeast Asia this proportion is smaller, 0.5%. Even in the Philippines, the country that provides the most seafarers to the world's commercial fleet, the proportion of women working on ships is only 225 people/230,000 seafarers.

Thanhnien.vn

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