CMA CGM Sets Target of 1,000 Women at Sea by 2030

Marseille-based container shipping giant CMA CGM has announced ambitious plans to have 1,000 women serving at sea by the end of 2030, following the success of its She Sails programme. 

Launched in December 2024, the initiative has already doubled the number of female seafarers within the company’s fleet in just one year.

By the close of 2025, the number of women at sea for CMA CGM had risen from 200 to 403, representing an increase of more than 100%. The programme has mobilised a network of 42 ambassadors across 19 countries and forged new partnerships with maritime academies to strengthen recruitment pipelines. 

Three agreements have been signed, one in Abu Dhabi and two in India, with further partnerships being prepared in the Philippines and Indonesia.

She Sails has also delivered tangible career progression for women within the company. Over the past year, 74 promotions were recorded, including eight to senior officer positions, 48 from cadet to junior officer, and one from deckhand to qualified deckhand, a first for the Group.

“In just one year, our programme has proven its effectiveness: the results exceed our expectations,” said CMA CGM’s executive vice president in charge of operations and assets, Christine Cabau Woehrel. 

“More women are accessing key positions, their career paths are accelerating, their confidence is growing, and our teams are gaining in both diversity and performance. These achievements are a source of pride, but above all a responsibility: to continue our efforts, to go further, and to make equal opportunities a lasting reality across all our teams”.

The company’s target of 1,000 women at sea by 2030 is indicative of a broader push to improve diversity and inclusion in the shipping industry, where women remain underrepresented. 

CMA CGM’s initiative is being closely watched as a potential model for other operators seeking to expand opportunities for female seafarers and strengthen workforce resilience in a sector facing global recruitment challenges.

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