Ports have been working towards becoming more sustainable. Although gender equality (SDG5) is very important within the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it is ranked almost at the bottom of port priorities. The aim of this research is to provide insights into how ports have been addressing gender equality in their efforts to contribute to sustainability. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with directors and sustainability managers from six European countries. The responses from interviewees were analysed using Grounded Theory’s constant comparative analysis.

The findings show that European ports have engaged in measures aimed at contributing to sustainability through gender equality classified in five stages: (1) Gender segregation, which needs to be overcome, and is, in many cases, the starting point; (2) Compliance with national laws and regulation, e.g. in recruitment and salaries; (3) Gender equity, reducing barriers to entry and compensate for the historical and social disadvantages that women had previously suffered from; (4) Gender equality, guaranteeing the equal treatment of men and women in all processes; and (5) More sustainable ports. Achieving gender equality is a sine qua non to make ports more sustainable, i.e. integrating social issues of sustainability with economic and environmental ones. Internal and external forces affect each of the stages, where thrust forces help ports reduce gender segregation and advance towards becoming more sustainability and drag forces slow or block the efforts and may lead to returning to a previous stage. The findings were used to develop a “Gender equality for sustainability in ports” framework.

This research is especially related to SDG5, target 5.1 (End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere), and 5.5 (Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life). 

Ports, and other traditionally male-dominated industries, could capitalise on women’s holistic perspective and higher engagement to better contribute to accelerating the progress to make Europe more sustainable, especially in these testing times.