In a traditionally male-dominated industry with a widespread skills shortage, Furetank has made notable progress in promoting gender balance, with the number of female seafarers in its ranks tripling over the past three years. However, darker undertones of sexual harassment and differential treatment persist within the maritime sector, as one of Furetank’s female crew members attests.
Furetank has actively worked for many years to attract skilled female seafarers, encouraging more women to see the strong career opportunities available at sea. Following a period of significant fleet expansion and focused recruitment efforts, the company has grown its female seafarer headcount from 11 to 31, with at least four more women set to join in spring 2026.
Josefine Radonné and Felicia Liljeroth
Yvonne Höglund, HR director at Furetank, described the development as fantastic, noting that women are now represented across all roles — from mess stewards, cooks, trainees, and cadets through to the highest-ranking officers in the engine room and on the bridge. She highlighted strong interest from female maritime students, who increasingly view shipping as an exciting industry with real career opportunities.
Gender equality — an active effort
Beyond the principle that women and men should be equally welcome in all workplaces, a more gender-balanced workforce widens the recruiting pool in an industry facing personnel shortages, and research shows that a balanced share of women and men in crews increases overall wellbeing on board. Höglund noted that Furetank actively develops its culture to ensure both women and men feel welcome, and expressed pride that so many women thrive at the company and that its reputation as a good place to work continues to spread.
Strength in numbers
During the same three-year period, the size of the Furetank-managed fleet has roughly doubled — meaning that the proportion of women on board has increased beyond the raw numbers alone.
Felicia Liljeroth and Josefine Radonné, a couple who met at maritime college and jointly decided to apply for their final cadetship with Furetank before subsequently securing permanent positions, are each now serving as second officer on their respective vessels. Both cite Furetank’s proactive stance on gender inclusion as a key reason for their choice of employer.
Liljeroth noted that Furetank is clear in its external communications that it both welcomes and actively recruits women and demonstrates that a relatively high proportion of women already work within its crews. She emphasised that not being the only woman on board makes a real difference, adding that as soon as there is at least one female colleague, the dynamic changes entirely.
Radonné added that it also makes an important difference to work with male crews who are accustomed to working alongside women – where female seafarers do not have to be the “exotic element” who stands out or is treated differently.
A darker side of shipping
Radonné also shared her personal experience of what she described as a darker side of shipping and the reason she and her partner were both keen to find an employer with an outspoken commitment to recruiting women and changing the industry. During one of her cadetships, she was told by a crew member that women are not usually hired because they are considered inconvenient,either becoming pregnant or being sexually harassed. Shortly afterwards, she experienced sexual harassment by a colleague on board. When she reported the incident to the company office, she felt she was treated as the problem, despite the perpetrator admitting to the conduct and evidence being available.
Both Liljeroth and Radonné have since chosen to play an active role in opening women’s eyes to the career opportunities shipping has to offer, representing Furetank at recruitment fairs and taking every opportunity to promote the industry. Radonné described it as a remarkable job – sailing large vessels, experiencing Europe’s major ports, and spending working days out at sea – and expressed her hope that more women could experience it, while noting the excitement of being part of driving positive change toward a more equal and inclusive industry.
For more information visit www.furetank.se
9 March 2026
