THE International Chamber of Shipping has released an online diversity tool to mark International Women’s Day.

The Maritime Diversity and Inclusion Charter is meant to help companies measure and improve their practices and policies.

Companies that sign up can choose from suggested actions, pledges, and monitoring/reporting measures.

These include appointing a diversity leader or tracking promotion opportunities given to different groups, such as age, gender or ethnicity.

“It’s a tool for companies to be able to assess themselves, to look at where their own strengths and weaknesses are,” said Natalie Shaw, the chamber's employment director.

Companies are given achievement levels based on how much they pledge, but their data is anonymised and ICS will not publish it.

Ms Shaw said the industry had to retain its ageing workforce as well as attract new talent after the pandemic put many off life at sea.

“We are in a situation now where we no longer have a plethora of people wanting to join the shipping industry,” she said.

Companies that failed to consider diversity and inclusion risked missing out on the best people, she added.

“It's not about us telling them to make the change. It's about them wanting to do it in order to stay in business and get the best talent.”