XOE_CPNWS0194wma Guide to the Women's Maritime Association Records1980-2013 Women's Maritime Association Records Finding aid prepared by Rozlind Koester. Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through funds from the Washington State Legislature for the Washington Women's History Consortium. Funding for encoding the finding aid was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Center for Pacific Northwest Studies © 2003

Goltz-Murray Building 808 25th St Bellingham 98225-9123 cpnws@wwu.edu https://library.wwu.edu/center-pacific-northwest-studies

This finding aid was produced by CPNWS staff on 2026-06-03. Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition. Center for Pacific Northwest Studies Women's Maritime Association Records Women's Maritime Association. XOE_CPNWS0194wma 4 linear feet 8 boxes 1980-2013 1980-1999 The Women's Maritime Association (WMA) formed in 1980 as a support network for seafaring women. The records span the dates 1980 to 2013, and include administrative and organizational records, documents related to activities and education, legal materials and government resources, newsletters, and clippings and reference material. English

The Women's Maritime Association (WMA) formed in 1980 as a support network for seafaring women. The WMA's mission is "to support and encourage women's activity in their maritime occupations and in their respective maritime unions and to take whatever steps necessary to insure women's right to work, free of harassment."* Although based in Seattle, Washington, WMA members hail from across the United States as well as several other countries. The WMA represents and supports women who work on fishing boats, processors, tankers, tugs, research boats, deep sea merchant ships, ferries, Navy and Coast Guard ships.*

Since its inception, the Women's Maritime Association has sought to promote strong community among women engaged in traditionally male-dominated maritime work, while advocating for fair working conditions, knowledge of health and safety issues and, especially, an end to sexual harassment and discrimination on vessels. With the enactment of the Sexual Abuse Act in 1986, vessel captains were required to report allegations of sexual abuse and harassment to the US Coast Guard. WMA has continued to advocate for stronger legislation to eliminate problems of sexual harassment and abuse at sea. In 1988, the Congressional General Accounting Office (GAO) undertook a two-year study to examine the problems experienced by women working on the high seas. The Women's Maritime Association urged members who had experienced harassment at sea to write about their experiences and submit those testimonies. The GAO study resulted in two official reports to Congress titled "Coast Guard: Information Needed to Assess the Extent of Sexual Assaults on Ships" and "TUNA/PORPOISE OBSERVER PROGRAM: More Needs to Be Done to Identify and Report Harassment of Observers." The reports urged the Coast Guard to take action in monitoring harassment onboard ships, and to provide more effective training and better reporting procedures to combat sexual assault.

*Source: Women's Maritime Association website, www.womensmaritimeassoc.com.

The Women's Maritime Association (WMA) Records span the dates 1980 to 2013, and include administrative and organizational records, documents related to activities and education, legal materials and government resources, newsletters, and clippings and reference material. The records document the concerns and activities of this Seattle-based organization, established in 1980 to protect the rights and safety of women working in the maritime industries.

Administrative and Organizational Records span the period 1980-1999, and include historical information, membership materials, meeting minutes, photographs, financial records, and resources from various WMA chapters. There is also a substantial amount of correspondence between WMA members and others, of which some may be restricted.

Activities and Education materials date from the 1980s through the 1990s and include information on various conferences, conventions, and symposia, as well as education, training, and networking opportunities for women in seafaring work. There is also information on affiliated organizations including public relations and outreach work.

Legal Materials and Government Resources span the dates 1988-1992 and document the WMA's work to strengthen legislation protecting women in the workplace. The records reflect the WMA's mission to eradicate sexual harassment and abuse on ships, and to ensure equal pay and fair working conditions for seafaring women. The materials include several General Accounting Office reports to Congress regarding sexual harassment and assault at sea.

Newsletters date from 1980-2013 and represent the official publication of the WMA.

Clippings and Reference Material consist of publications about WMA activities and some of its members. They also document important issues such as sexual harassment, fair working conditions, and networking and community-building among women in non-traditional jobs.

The Women's Maritime Association Records are organized according to the following series arrangement:

Series I. Administrative and Organizational Records, 1980-1999 Series II. Activities and Education, 1988-1992 Series III. Legal Materials and Government Resources, 1988-1992 Series IV. Newsletters, 1980-2013 Series V. Clippings and Reference Material, 1980-1999

Some restrictions apply - contact repository for details.

Women's Maritime Association Records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.

The records were donated by the Women's Maritime Assocation in 2000, 2006 and 2021.

The Women in the Commercial Fishing Industry Research Collection at the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies contains related material.

Researchers should note that this collection contains references to sexual harassment, assault, and rape that may be harmful or triggering. To learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content.

Women's Maritime Association--Archives. Sex discrimination in employment--History--Sources. Sex discrimination against women--History--Sources. Sexual harassment--Law and legislation--United States--History--Sources. Women fishers--History--Sources. Women merchant mariners--History--Sources. Women sailors--History--Sources. Fishing and Canning Women Records (Documents) Series I Administrative and Organizational Records 1980-1999 Letterhead, logos, and organizational history approximately 1980s 1 1 "Board Biz" - includes membership ballots and questionnaires 1983-1984 1 2 Membership materials approximately 1980s 1 3 Meeting minutes 1984 1993-1994 1 4 Photographs and business cards approximately 1990s 1 5 Printing and related business 1980s 1 6 Other WMA business approximately 1986-1988 1 7 WMA chapter materials (Galveston, Texas, and New Zealand chapters) approximately 1990s 1 8-10 Financial records 1981-1988 2 1-4 Grants and fundraising 1990s 2 5 Maritime Academy Grant 1993 2 6 Washington Centennial Maritime projects (oral histories and workshop materials) 1988 2 7 Correspondence 1980s-1990s 3 1-8 "Published letters" (used in newsletters) approximately 1988-1989 3 9 Correspondence from ARCO Marine 1992 1994 3 10 Series II Activities and Education 1980s-1990s Conferences, conventions, and symposia approximately 1990s 4 1-3 "Sex and Power Issues in the Workplace" conference 1992 5 1 "Women Underway" approximately 1990s 5 2 Women Underway Symposium 1994 5 3 Affiliated organizations and networks 1989-1992 5 4 Miscellaneous marine and maritime networks and education approximately 1980s 5 5 Series III Legal Materials and Government Resources 1988-1992 General Accounting Office (GAO) materials and related correspondence with Representative Mike Lowry approximately 1987-1989 5 6 GAO Reports to Congress 1988 1990 6 1

"COAST Guard – Information Needed to Assess the Extent of Sexual Assault on Ships," December 1988 "TUNA/PORPOISE OBSERVER PROGRAM – More Needs to Be Done to Identify and Report Harassment of Observers," November 1990 "COAST GUARD – Magnitude of Alcohol Problems and Related Maritime Accidents Unknown," May 1990

Sexual abuse/rights at sea materials approximately 1988-1992 6 2 Coast Guard - sexual harassment materials approximately 1990s 6 3 Navy - sexual harassment policies, trainings, etc. approximately 1990s 6 4 Shipping companies - sexual harassment materials approximately 1990s 6 5 Series IV Newsletters 1980-1999 Newsletters 1980 July-1984 December 6 6-7 Newsletters 1989 Winter-2005 Fall 2009 Spring 2013 Spring 7 1-2 Newsletter "stuff" including correspondence approximately 1991-1992 7 3 "Artwork for newsletter" undated 7 4 Series V Clippings and Reference Material 1980-1999 Articles and clippings approximately 1980s-1990s 7 5-7 General reference materials approximately 1980s-1990s 8 1-3 "Maritime Info to Keep on File" approximately 1985-1987 8 4-5 "Safety/ecology" reference material 1990s 8 6 "Womens empowerment/stress management" reference material approximately 1990s 8 7