On board merchant navy ships, female sailors are still rare, especially in officer positions. At Genavir, IFREMER’s maritime company, Enora stands out as an exception: she is the first female commander. A mother of two, she continues to sail, whereas most women stop when they become mothers. An encounter.
The journey of Enora Person, a Breton native, remains an exception. She entered the merchant navy school in Saint-Malo at the age of 20 and graduated five years later with a dual officer diploma in deck and engine operations. It was 2005, and female lieutenants were still rare among seafaring personnel, whether in the merchant navy, the fishing industry, or even the French Navy.
Enora recalls her first training embarkation as an engine room mechanic on a deep-sea trawler:
« The crew didn’t know me. As we passed through the Saint-Malo lock at departure, families were waving their final goodbyes to the sailors leaving for several weeks. One of the crew members approached me and told me it was time for me to disembark because the ship was leaving. He seemed very surprised when I told him I would be spending the next several weeks alongside them. »
This is one of the anecdotes Enora shares in the documentary Littoral, which is dedicated to her story: Enora, Cap’tain Maman, available in full on the france.tv platform.
« I didn’t steal this position »
Twenty years later, Enora stands on the bridge of L’Atalante, one of the largest vessels in Genavir, IFREMER’s oceanographic fleet.
The camera moves through Enora’s cabin. On the door, a silver plaque reads « Commandant ». The company has probably not yet had time to feminize the title, but it is indeed the position the young woman now holds.
With emotion, Enora reflects on what this office represents in her memories, the officers who occupied this role before her… Then she adds: « I didn’t steal this position. »
In 2022, at the age of 42, Enora Person shattered the glass ceiling. She was appointed as a commander—the first and, for now, the only woman to reach this rank in the Genavir company. The rest of the merchant navy has not fared much better, with only one other female commander at Brittany Ferries.
The reality remains stark: while more women are enrolling in officer training programs, many abandon their careers a few years later, often after having their first child.
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The Puzzle of Keeping Her Certifications
Reaching the highest levels of responsibility at sea can be a long and demanding journey. As a mother of two, Enora experienced career interruptions due to maternity leave and later worked part-time when her children were young. Yet, these life events seem to be overlooked by Enim, the organization responsible for the social security system for sailors.
Enora and her partner, who is also a sailor, describe the complexity and challenges of maintaining their certifications:
« Enim requires sailors to complete 12 full months at sea within a five-year period to keep their licenses valid. This heavily penalizes women like me who have reduced their working hours at certain points. As a result, I had to give up one of my competencies—engine operations—to accumulate enough sailing time, » explains Enora.
A Passion for the Job and Feeling Heard
Despite these challenges, Enora remained committed to her career.
« I was lucky to be in a company where part-time work was possible when my children were young, which is far from the case in many other shipping companies. If at least this aspect could evolve, it would already be a victory. »
— Enora Person, Commander of L’Atalante, one of the largest ships in Genavir
Against the odds, Enora achieved her goal—an inspiring journey for all young female lieutenants currently working at sea.
https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/bretagne/finistere/brest/temoignage-j-ai-brise-le-plafond-de-verre-enora-est-devenue-la-premiere-femme-commandante-d-un-navire-de-l-ifremer-3096247.htmlSource: france3-regions
