Deepika Rao is a Programme Director at Cividep in Bangalore, where she campaigns on behalf of female migrant garment workers. In her previous career, however, Deepika spent five years as a marine engineer aboard merchant oil tankers, amongst almost exclusively male crews.  In this podcast, Deepika talks to IHRB's Francesca Fairbairn about life as a female crew member aboard these vessels.  She describes the kinds of discrimination and harassment women face, the regulations the Indian government has put in place to reduce gender discrimination, and the importance of monitoring to ensure shipping companies implement the regulations. Deepika also touches on more general human rights risks in the shipping transport industry. 
Deepika has been working with Cividep for the past four years. She holds a Bachelors degree in Marine Engineering and a Masters in Social Entrepreneurship.