ABSTRACT: The maritime transport industry is one of the most critical tradeways worldwide and has traditionally been a male stronghold, even as more and more women are admitted. Just as in many countries, including Bulgaria, the share of women in the maritime industry is always considerably less than that of men, exacerbated by the absence of any institutional framework specifically oriented toward gender issues in this sector. The article discusses the reasons for the need to create a public agency in Bulgaria that is concerned with monitoring women’s participation in the maritime transport sector. The study examines the challenges that women face in this field, such as discrimination, prejudices, and lack of institutional support. The study combines a holistic approach toward national bodies for gender equality in the maritime sector with empirical and qualitative analyses of the responses of 136 women actively engaged in water-based transportation in Bulgaria, including professionals and students from the maritime departments at the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy. The findings from this study provide valuable insights into the potential role of such a national body in addressing the outlined issues and enhancing proposals for improving women’s representation, employment, and career prospects in the maritime transport sector.

KEYWORDS: Maritime Education and Training (MET), Maritime Transport, Employment Situation, Gender Issues in Shipping, Discrimination, Women in Maritime, Policy and Legislation, Social Aspects

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