Theme 4: Equity & Transparency – Forgotten Voices and Hidden Figures
Uncovering overlooked stories to build a more inclusive narrative that fosters trust and fairness across global maritime history.
This page is approximately a 2 minute read
Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi: Ever-shifting tides
Master Pilot
Location: Clock Tower Jetty and Hooghly Riverside, Kolkata
Equity & Transparency
Page author
Felicity Landon, Journalist
Felicity Landon is a freelance maritime journalist, writer and editor specialising in ports, shipping, logistics, digitalisation, automation, decarbonisation, insurance, ship registries and seafarers’ interests. She writes for the Journal of Commerce, Port Strategy, Marine Professional, Shipping Network, The Sea and Ship Management International. Seahorse Journalist of the Year 2023, Felicity has also won the Seahorse Maritime Journalist of the Year and Supply Chain Journalist of the Year awards.
Introduction
This online exhibition recounts the career of Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi. SHE SEES celebrates women’s contributions to the maritime industry through capturing the stories of contemporary female professionals globally. Through captivating interviews and stunning photographs, we delve into their stories, bridging the maritime past, present, and the future.
Ever-shifting tides
India’s first and only female maritime pilot, Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi always pushed the boundaries. She wanted an ‘offbeat career’ rather than a mundane 9-5 job – but became an ‘accidental mariner’ after spotting a newspaper advertisement from Maersk Line, offering sponsorship through dual engine and deck cadet training and a guaranteed job at the end.
Click on each image to view the exhibition.
A Letter to My Younger Self
Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi has built her career at the very edge of possibility. As India’s first and only woman marine pilot, and one of the few female river pilots anywhere in the world, she has carved out a path defined by grit, precision, and an unwavering refusal to be limited by expectation.
In A Letter to My Younger Self, she looks back on her journey and the lessons she would share with those who follow.
SHE_SEES HER WORDS
In SHE_SEES: HER WORDS, women from across the maritime sector share their experiences, challenges, and ambitions - offering powerful reflections on visibility, inclusion, and change.
They were asked to describe the essence of their role in three words. These words appear alongside their moving portraits within the film, creating a striking and personal insight into their working lives.
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