[The study of problematic aspects of maintenance of health of female sailors in merchant shipping].

Abstract

Nowadays, both nationally and internationally, the task is set to maritime industry to popularize maritime professions among women in order to reduce level of gender inequality in the merchant fleet. Despite attractiveness of this idea and the growing number of female sailors working as members of the deck or engine crew of on long-distance vessels, issues of their health security still remain actual. The results of study discovered cases of failure in receiving by women qualified medical care on board of sea vessel, including due to physiological differences between men and women. It was established that lack of gender approach in development of normative documents regulating both organization of work and rest, and support of safety of health and life of crew members, results in decreasing of effectiveness of measures targeting protection of female health in the fleet. The survey of women working on merchant ships permitted to conclude all medical problems caused by gender differences are solved by women themselves. This circumstance is caused not only by lack of corresponding qualified medical personnel on board but also by insufficient list of medications in on-board medicine chest that take into account gender characteristics. Taking into account complexity and unordinarity of identified problem, the original recommendations were developed to secure health and life of female sailors, taking into account possibilities of gender medicine that will reduce risks of untimely providing of qualified care.