Revisiting our first all-female crew

On International Women’s Day 2018 we were able to run services with our first all-female crew! A lot has changed in the three years since Joy, Ellie, Emma and Sitarah sailed through the glass ceiling; so this International Women’s Day, let’s see how they’ve been getting on.

Having joined as a Deckhand, Joy progressed to a Mate and obtained her Boatmaster’s Licence through our in-house training programme. By 2018, when she captained our first all-female crew, Joy was a High-Speed Master, a position which she still holds today. “My advice to anyone that is in my shoes is if you have a dream, go and get it!” says Joy.

Ellie served as Mate in our first female crew, having joined us as a Customer Service Assistant at our piers and moved into the crew. Since 2018, Ellie has obtained her Boatmaster’s Licence and recently received her High-Speed Endorsement, enabling her to captain some of our fastest vessels! Regarding the challenges she has faced, Ellie said: “persevere, be prepared for minor obstacles, but stay focused on your chosen career path”.

Emma, who was a Deck Customer Service Assistant (DCSA) in 2018, has been promoted twice since our first all-female crew set sail and is now a Class V Captain! Over the last three years, Emma became a Mate and obtained her Boatmasters Licence in early 2020 through our in-house programme.

Sitarah initially joined us as an Onboard Customer Service Assistant (OCSA) and was later promoted to Supervisor. Sitarah left Uber Boat by Thames Clippers in 2020 and we wish her all the best!

We’re proud to have progressed the careers of women within our organisation and the diverse makeup of our team. In 2019, our CEO and Co Founder was recognised by Everywoman for the work he has done to support women’s equality in the workplace and our business’s commitment to advancing women’s progress.

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is also signed up to the Women in Maritime Pledge, which is aligned with our internal Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and aims to further drive equality standards within the industry.

When we are operating again, it will be much easier to captain an all-female crew in 2021 than it was in 2018. Across the traditionally male-dominated marine industry, just 3% of the seagoing workforce are female, but at Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, 38.5% of our crew are now women! We are incredibly proud of the progress we have made and will continue to support women who work on the water.

Find out more about careers at Uber Boat by Thames Clippers here 

#ChoosetoChallange #IWD2021