About 500 Myanmar woman sailors have been trained to work on international passenger ships and ready to aboard the ship, it was learnt from Myanmar Seafarers Federation. Currently, there are about 800 women who have completed the necessary training to be allowed to work international passenger ships. Among them, only about 300 female sailors are working on the ship, said Captain Soe Min Aung, Chairman of Myanmar Seafarers Federation.
Myanmar women started to work on international passenger ships and most of them serve as hotal staff. Therefore, men and women who serve on the international passenger ships are not considered crew members but rather hotel staff. In 2006, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has issued a regulation for all staff related to maritime employment and employees working in hotels on ships are defined as seafarers.
As they are defined as a seafarer, they will be allowed to board international passenger ships only when they have have seaman passport learning the professional subjects that a seafarer must complete. Currently, most of new seafarers from Myanmar who want to join ships are facing difficulties due to the high agent fees paid to be able to work on international shipping lines, according to the seafarers community.
