Exhibition ‘sets the record straight’ on women in maritime

After its launch at last year’s London International Shipping Week, an exhibition spotlighting the inspirational stories of women in maritime is coming to Portsmouth, on the UK’s south coast.

The free She_Sees exhibition, which launches on Friday, 2 August, is hosted in Boathouse 4 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and is spearheaded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, an independent charity focused on education and safety. Lloyd’s Register is a maritime classification society and marine services group based in the UK.

The exhibition, hosted in partnership with Portsmouth Historic Quarter and the University of Portsmouth, taps into archive materials from across the UK and Ireland to uncover the extensive history of trailblazing female voices in the maritime industry and aims to change the tide on diversity.

Beyond looking into the past, the exhibition highlights a persistent gender imbalance. Recent research from the International Maritime Organization found that women currently account for just 29 per cent of the overall industry workforce—a figure that drops to 2 per cent for female seafarers within the crewing workforce.

Blending visuals, art and storytelling, the She_Sees exhibition features portraits of inspiring women working in the maritime industry. It also includes two new portraits from Portsmouth-based women – Betzy Shell, boatbuilder, and Emily Ball, boatkeeper assistant.

“We’re thrilled to be bringing She_Sees to Portsmouth, one of Britain’s most significant cities when it comes to naval history,” says Louise Sanger, head of research, interpretation and engagement at Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s Heritage & Education Centre.

“When we started working on this project, we had one mission in mind: to set the record straight on women’s contributions to maritime, now and throughout history. There is so much the industry has to offer, but we need more representation first to inspire young girls to explore potential careers there – so we hope our exhibition will be a catalyst for change.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support and contributions we’ve received from the University of Portsmouth and the Portsmouth Historic Quarter. We’re looking forward to welcoming people from Portsmouth and further afield – and hopefully inspire more girls to consider a career in maritime.”

The exhibition also features research from Dr Melanie Bassett, historian and research fellow in public engagement at the University of Portsmouth. Bassett is a member of the University’s Centre for Port Cities and Maritime Cultures (PCMC), which focuses on the past, present and future importance of urban-maritime cultures and communities across the globe. Her research has examined the crucial role that women played in the city’s historic dockyard during the First World War.

“We are delighted to bring this fascinating intergenerational exhibition about the role of women in maritime industries to Portsmouth, and to tell the stories of Portsmouth Royal Dockyard and the Royal Navy,” says Bassett.

“Women have had limited visibility in the maritime sector and this exhibition is an important testament to their continued contribution and presence. The exhibition is striking in scale and impact, celebrating the role of maritime women by fusing history, photography and textile art installations in a thought-provoking way. We hope that it showcases these maritime pioneers and inspires the next generation to follow in their footsteps.”

Hannah Prowse, CEO of Portsmouth Historic Quarter Trust, adds: “We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming the She_Sees exhibition here into the dockyard and into Boathouse 4 from the International Maritime Organisation.

“The boathouse can seem intimidating, with its boats, tools and people working there – but with this exhibition, we hope to reinforce the idea that this space is for everyone.”

Entry for the exhibition is free; visitors should ask for a ‘historic quarter pass’ at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard’s Visitor Centre, which gives them free access to the site excluding ticketed attractions.

The She_Sees exhibition is open in Boathouse 4 for visitors between 10am and 4:30pm.