What does it take to build the next generation of women leaders in maritime?

In this episode of Women in Maritime, host Julia Gosling speaks with Sanjam Sahi Gupta, Founder of Maritime SheEO and Director at Sitara Shipping. With a growing global network spanning over 70 countries, Maritime SheEO is focused on empowering aspiring women leaders and creating real pathways for progression in an industry where barriers still exist.

From confidence gaps to workplace culture, this conversation explores the realities women face at sea and ashore, and what needs to change to move the industry forward.

• Why Maritime SheEO was created and the gap it fills
• The challenges women face at sea vs ashore
• The confidence gap and self-doubt in leadership progression
• The business case for diversity and stronger performance
• Harassment, safety, and why enforcement still falls short
• The importance of mentorship and global community
• Why visibility and early exposure matter for future generations
• The role of industry in creating real change

This is a conversation about leadership, accountability, and building a stronger, more inclusive maritime industry.

🎙️ Guest: Sanjam Sahi Gupta, Founder, Maritime SheEO | Director, Sitara Shipping
🎙️ Host: Julia Gosling

Produced by Yachting International Radio

🌐 Maritime SheEO: https://maritimesheeo.com

There are still fewer than 2% of women working at sea. So what does leadership in maritime really look like today?

In this episode of Women In Maritime, Julia Gosling speaks with Monica Kohli OBE, Senior Lawyer at Gard (U.K.), President of WISTA U.K., and Trustee of The Seafarers’ Charity, about visibility, credibility and reshaping opportunity in shipping.

Monica spent her early childhood living aboard her father’s cargo ship, which shaped her lifelong connection to the sea. She later built a distinguished career in maritime law and leadership across the global shipping sector. In this conversation, she reflects on never seeing a female seafarer as a child, navigating professional spaces where women were rarely expected to lead, and why diversity in maritime is not just about fairness - it is about performance and long-term industry resilience.

In this conversation you’ll hear about:

• Growing up connected to life at sea
  
• Why the 2% figure for women at sea still matters
  
• Casual sexism and professional credibility in shipping
  
• The commercial case for diversity in maritime leadership
  
• WISTA U.K.’s work funding female cadets
  
• Leadership responsibility and visibility in senior roles
  
• Receiving an OBE and what recognition means for the sector
  

This is a candid discussion about confidence, networks, representation and what still needs to change across the global maritime workforce.

🎙️ Host
Julia Gosling
Maritime communications specialist and former UK Coastguard communications officer, with nearly two decades of experience supporting operational maritime safety, leadership communications and sector-wide engagement across the UK and international maritime community.

🎤 Guest
Monica Kohli OBE
Senior Lawyer, Gard (U.K.)
President, WISTA U.K.
Trustee, The Seafarers’ Charity
Maritime Skills Commissioner

WISTA International: wistainternational.com
WISTA U.K.: wista-uk.net
Indian Maritime Association (UK): imauk.org.uk

Monica is a long-standing advocate for diversity and professional development across the global maritime sector, working to increase visibility and access for women at sea and ashore.

Prefer to watch? See Women In Maritime on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KqEglsmyduQ?si=JWiiGFi1raeFEpy_

My first guest is Nitzeira Watson Stewart, legal representative of The Nautical Institute – Panama, and a recognised Top 100 Woman in Shipping.

In this open, honest conversation, Nitzeira shares the real story behind her rise in a male-dominated industry: the doors that were closed in her own country, the international path she carved instead, the sacrifice of leaving to study with a newborn at home, and the relentless drive that helped her build credibility and leadership on her own terms.

In this conversation you’ll hear about:
How Nitzeira entered maritime and why she refused to quit
Maritime law, leadership and the professional reality of “proving yourself”
Age bias and gender bias in the maritime workplace
Building a global career without the “right contacts”
The personal cost of ambition, and the role of support systems
The community work she’s doing to lift other women up