My name is Bridget Arku-Mensah, and I am an Engine Cadet from Ghana with two years of experience in the maritime industry. My job is to assist the engine officers with the daily maintenance of shipboard machinery and equipment. Each day, I get hands-on experience working on systems that keep the ship alive, and it never stops intriguing me. Seeing how both small tasks and major jobs contribute to the vessel\u2019s operation gives me a deep sense of purpose. And of course, getting to see different parts of the world makes the journey even more rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a woman in the engine department, the challenges are real. Sometimes it feels as though my gender alone becomes a barrier \u2014 my abilities are doubted before I even get the chance to show what I can do. It can be discouraging to feel overlooked despite being willing and capable. These moments plant seeds of self-doubt, but they have also strengthened my resolve. I continue to show up, work with excellence, and contribute meaningfully, believing that consistency and competence will gradually change perceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I could advocate for anything, it would be the creation of safe and supportive spaces for female seafarers \u2014 places where we can check in on each other, share our experiences honestly, and celebrate our wins. Sometimes simply knowing that someone else understands makes all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My advice to women entering this industry is simple: be bold, be proactive, ask questions, and stay fiercely interested. Curiosity and courage will carry you far at sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For me, the ship truly feels like a home away from home. You meet incredible people and build relationships that make life onboard meaningful. But it also tests you because you live and work in the same space. To survive, you need a winner\u2019s mindset \u2014 not competing with others, but with your own doubts, discipline, and perseverance. The sea will test you, try you, and if you let it, it will refine you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bridget Arku-Mensah, Engine Cadet – Ghana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My name is Bridget Arku-Mensah, and I am an Engine Cadet from Ghana with two years of experience in the maritime industry. My job is to assist the engine officers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthetide.co.ke\/attx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthetide.co.ke\/attx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthetide.co.ke\/attx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/againstthetide.co.ke\/attx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/againstthetide.co.ke\/attx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25714"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/againstthetide.co.ke\/attx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25748,"href":"https:\/\/againstthetide.co.ke\/attx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25714\/revisions\/25748"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/againstthetide.co.ke\/attx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthetide.co.ke\/attx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/againstthetide.co.ke\/attx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/againstthetide.co.ke\/attx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}