Balancing the Boat:
Have your say on equality of opportunity for women in maritime archaeology

The Maritime Archaeology Trust has received a grant from Historic England to better understand the issues related to equality of opportunity for women in maritime archaeology and to develop initiatives to actively improve the situation.
This survey seeks to understand the experiences of women in maritime archaeology to identify barriers, challenges, and opportunities for positive change across the profession.
Your responses are fully confidential and will not be seen by anyone outside the Women in Maritime Archaeology project team.
All data received will only be used for research purposes, only anonymised data will be used in public reports. No information that could be used to identify any individual or organisation will be available to any other organisation. All data will be stored and processed in accordance with GDPR.
This survey is voluntary, and your contribution is enormously valued.
If you require the survey in any other format, have any queries or concerns please email women@maritimearchaeologytrust.org .
The survey should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Section 1. Background/Education (This section asks about your academic background and early exposure to maritime archaeology, to help us understand how pathways into the profession may differ across genders).

Did you study archaeology/maritime archaeology at university?

If no, what did you study?

Where did you study (name of university)?

When did you study?

What is the highest level of education completed by you?

The below are for those who answered yes to studying archaeology/maritime archaeology at university:

Were there any obvious differences during your time at university in terms of gender (for example in terms of representation in teaching staff, treatment of students based on gender, etc)?

If yes, please provide more information.

Were there female role models/mentors that you were aware of during your studies, and did they occupy influential positions (were there female mentors at the university, and please provide more information below about whether you were aware of/taught about female role models such as Honor Frost, Joan du Plat Taylor and Valerie Fenwick)?

If yes, please provide more information on how they impacted you.

During your time studying, were you taught to use gender neutral language (person or human instead of man for example)?

Do you think using gender neutral language is important?

Section 2. Professional Role (These questions focus on your current or past professional roles in maritime archaeology, including employment patterns, workplace culture, and career progression).

What best describes your employment status?

If other, please specify.

How long have you been working in maritime archaeology?

What is your current position/job title? For those who selected "Former maritime archaeologist", what was your position when you left?

Which of the following best describes your current area(s) of work? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.
What is your current working pattern?
What type of contract do you have?
Are you in a job share position?
If yes was your position advertised as open to job share, or was this negotiated by you?

What are the main types of tasks you are involved with? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.
If other, please specify.

Do you think that your biological sex or gender-related physical challenges (e.g periods, menopause) have affected your opportunities for progression?
(For diving and fieldwork see section below relating to provision of kit and adequate amenities.)
Please comment on your experience.

Does your company have a formal policy that promotes gender equality?
Please provide more information.

Did you negotiate your salary during the hiring process for your current (or most recent) maritime archaeology role?
If other reason, please specify.

For those currently working in maritime archaeology. What is the approximate gender balance of those working in your organisation or maritime archaeology section/team of your organisation?
Please tell us about initiatives being delivered in your organisation to attract/retain women in the profession (WIP). You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.
Do you feel there are female role models in your workplace/department?
If relevant, why did you stop working in maritime archaeology?
If other, please specify.

2.1 Work areas and opportunities for visibility/ influence (This section explores how visible and influential women are in professional practice — such as project leadership, decision-making, publishing, and conference opportunities).

For projects and research, what level of responsibility/team role do you most frequently deliver?
If other, please specify.

Do you have input into the direction or design of research projects?
Please provide more information.

Do you influence which projects your organisation undertakes?
Please provide more information.

Do you feel the areas of importance or most potential for maritime archaeology are given prominence or developed? Please provide your thoughts on this.

Are you provided opportunities to publish work?
Please provide more information.

Are you provided with funded opportunities to present work at conferences?
Please provide more information.

2.2 Caring Responsibilities and Work-Life Balance (These questions focus on the impact of caregiving, family responsibilities, and workplace flexibility on your career in maritime archaeology)

Do you have caring responsibilities?
If you became a parent while working in maritime archaeology, do you feel there was an adequate maternity/paternity policy in place?
Did you experience any of the following regarding maternity/parental leave? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.
If other, please specify.

If having caring responsibilities has caused significant changes in your role, please explain how.

Have you experienced work/life balance issues in your role (such as expectation to travel, conference attendance, long working hours, requiring specialist equipment)?

Are these challenges systemic or linked to perceptions of gender (such as working mothers being seen as less dedicated, perhaps being criticised for taking time off to care for sick children/school holidays/other caring responsibilities)?

Do you think this situation is more commonly faced by women than men?

Section 3. Avocational Roles (This section is for those involved in voluntary or unpaid work, such as mentoring, fieldwork, or governance roles. It explores how unpaid contributions shape the sector). If you do not volunteer or have never volunteered, you may skip this section.

Do you undertake voluntary or unpaid work in the maritime archaeology sector?

How long have you been volunteering in maritime archaeology?

What is your main focus in your volunteering role? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.

If other, please specify.

What is the approximate gender split on the main projects you work on?

If you don’t currently volunteer have you in the past, and what did you do?

Why do/did you volunteer? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.
If other, please specify.

Do you do other paid or unpaid work beyond maritime archaeology, such as a second job, or volunteer roles not linked to the field?

Please provide more information.

Section 4. Fieldwork, Diving and Practical Roles. (This section is split into general fieldwork experiences, diving-specific experiences, and then other practical work, including marine and ship based roles). If sections are not relevant, please skip.

4.1 General Fieldwork Experiences

Have you experienced any barriers to participating in practical/fieldwork activities (including any physical or physiological challenges related to your gender while participating in practical/fieldwork activities, e.g. menstruation, menopause, pregnancy, nursing, or other) that have affected your participation or comfort?

If you feel comfortable, please describe how this affected your participation in fieldwork/practical activities, and whether any support or accommodations were (or were not) provided.

Have you ever had to turn down a role due to safety or cultural concerns as a woman?

If yes and if you feel comfortable, please explain.

4.2 Diving-specific experiences

Are you a diver? If you are not a diver, skip to Section 4.3.

What level of dive qualifications do you have? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.
If other, please specify.

Did your organisation support any of your dive training (funded, part funded, allowed time off for training, etc)?

How regularly do you dive with the dive team?

If relevant please also provide more information about how this has changed, for example, has this changed as your role/responsibilities have changed.

What is the average gender balance of the dive team?

What roles do you have as a diver? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.

If other, please specify.

Do you make decisions about the diving plan, recording approach, or operations?

What other related roles are you trained for (operate vessels, maintenance of equipment, first aid, other)?

Are you provided with dive kit/PPE that is specifically designed for women? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.

If other, please specify.

Are you provided with adequate amenities for women when diving?

If no, can you please explain more?

Do you feel you are offered the same opportunities for diving as male counterparts?

If no, please provide more information. If the same opportunities are offered, are you able to take them?

Have body image concerns ever made you hesitant about diving medicals?

Please provide more information.

Do you also volunteer, or have done in the past, as a diver on archaeological projects?

If yes, please provide more information.

Did/does your experience as a volunteer differ from your experience at work?

4.3 Other practical work (marine operations, lab work etc)

What sort of fieldwork/practical work are you involved in? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.
If other, please specify.

What is the average gender balance of the team?

During fieldwork/marine operations are you provided with PPE that is specifically designed for women?

If other, please specify.

Do you feel you are offered the same opportunities for fieldwork/marine operations as male counterparts?

If no, please explain more. If the same opportunities are offered, are you able to take them?

Section 5. Inclusion, Bias and Safety (Here we explore workplace culture, including experiences of harassment, bias, and discrimination, as well as suggestions for improving equity, safety, and inclusion).

What changes would most improve your experience as a woman in maritime archaeology?

Are there areas of maritime archaeology that already work well for you as a woman? If yes, what already works well?

Have you ever been impacted by conscious or unconscious bias (such as expectations of undertaking admin or minutes, being responsible for tasks perceived as ‘office housework’, not being offered certain roles - particularly diving or fieldwork related)?

If you feel comfortable, can you please provide more information?

Have you ever experienced or witnessed gender-based discrimination, including inappropriate language, verbal harassment, or bullying?

If you feel comfortable, can you please provide more information?

Have you ever witnessed or experienced sexual harassment? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.
If you can provide information on this in a secure and safe space that isn’t triggering for you, the team would be happy to speak to you further.

Do you feel confident in reporting any such incidents to your employer or educational institute, and that they would address the issues?

If applicable, were actions taken if harassment was reported?

How do you feel about the gender balance in maritime archaeology? If applicable, what do you think could be done to improve the balance?

What topics do you feel are impacting women in maritime archaeology? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.
If other, please specify.

In your opinion, what are the three most important areas to deliver improved support for women in maritime archaeology? You can select multiple items by holding your CTRL key.

Section 6. Demographics (These questions help us understand the diversity of respondents. All answers are optional and will be kept strictly confidential and anonymised).

Name (optional)

Age Range

Ethnic Group

Relationship status

Gender identity

Do you identify as having a disability?

Where are you based?

Have you worked in maritime archaeology in another country (either participating in projects or based in another country)? If yes, how did your experience differ?

Section 7. Socio-economics (This section seeks to understand how financial background and access to resources may affect participation in maritime archaeology. This section is optional, however your responses will help identify hidden barriers to entry or progression).

What type of secondary school did you mainly attend between the ages of 11 and 16?

Were you the first person in your immediate family to attend university?

Were you eligible for free school meals, a bursary, or similar financial support at school or university?

Did you need to work (etiher part-time, full time, or during holodays) during your studies to support yourself financially?

Have you had to turn down any work, fieldwork, or training opportunities due to financial constraints (e.g. unpaid internships, unfunded travel)?

Do you feel your socio-economic background has influenced your access to training, fieldwork, or career opportunities in maritime archaeology?

Having answered the above, is there anything else you would like to comment on in regards to socioeconomics?

If you’d like a copy of your responses, please insert your email. Your email will not be stored, so your contributions will remain anonymous if you choose not to share any personal details.

Balancing the Boat: Have your say on equality of opportunity for women in maritime archaeology