Key speakers at a conference in Russia last week asking what can motivate more women to enter challenging professions were the youngest Russian Cosmonaut Yelena Serova and SCF Group (Sovcomflot) third officer Lyana Mitrofanova.

Serova’s interest in space was aroused by a teacher who enthused her about the subject, but Mitrofanova admitted a seagoing career was not an early ambition.

“I never thought of becoming a seafarer and before embarking upon my maritime education had never even seen the sea," she said. 

But she quickly became enchanted and believes the attractions of a career at sea include the ability to focus fully on work, as a true professional, with long holidays in between that offer the opportunity to spend time with friends and family.

Mitrofanova said initially she had to work hard to be taken seriously but both said there is no need for competition between the sexes, and that better work outcomes come from cross-gender cooperation.

The roundtable in St Petersburg, organised by the Russian Federation of Cosmonauts, the Admiral Makarov State Maritime University and SCF Group, concluded that:

  • Challenging professions depend upon attracting people with the right skills, knowledge and commitment, rather than seeking to apply gender-based quotas
  • High profile women have an important part to play as role models to inspire young women to broaden their career horizons and ‘dare to be different’.
  • Careers in space and at sea need to be demystified - especially for women
  • Employers should have the courage to see women first as professionals and then as women rather than vice versa.

Sovcomflot president Sergey Frank added: “Human capital is our greatest asset and, together with the Russian Federation of Cosmonauts, we are committed to employing and developing the highly skilled professionals that our respective organisations depend upon.

"Anything we can do to encourage applications from women not only makes us better corporate citizens it also makes sound commercial sense.”

The next issue of TW+, out with TradeWinds on 20 November will include a full interview with Serova and Mitrofanova.