Maritime Madams: Radhika Menon

Radhika Menon is the first female captain in the Indian Merchant Navy. In 2016, she became the first woman to receive the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea following a successful rescue mission that saved the lives of seven fishermen. 

For Further Reading:

• BBC, Indian woman wins top bravery award
• IndiaTimes, The Life of Radhika Menon
• Times of India, Raise Voice
• ABB, At the Helm

This month, we’re talking about Maritime Madams. Whether through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, they harnessed the power of the bodies of waters that cover our earth. 

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Wamanica. This month, we're talking about maritime Madams. Whether
through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, these women
harness the power of the bodies of water that cover
our earth. Today, we're talking about a modern woman who
broke barriers and braved treacherous seas to save lives. Introducing

(00:25):
Radica men In. Radiga grew up in Kudunglar of Kerala, India.
When she was ready to start her career, she approached
her parents and explained that she wanted something different than
a traditional nine to five job. Her parents were very wary,
but Radica had a vision in mind, so she set
off to Marine College and Kochie. There she began her

(00:48):
career as a marine radio officer for the Shipping Corporation
of India. Though her parents still had very little understanding
of her chosen field, Radiga clearly showed an aptitude for
the work. She climbed the ranks to become the first
ever female captain of the Indian Merchant Navy. Being the
first weighed heavily on Radica of her position in the field.

(01:09):
She once said, whatever action I take it has to
be perfect. Women have no room for mistakes in this profession.
If anything goes wrong, people will be very unforgiving. Radiga
was tapped to captain a large oil tanker called the
empty sampornas Waraja in June of twenty fifteen. Radika was
aboard the tanker and relentless sixty knot winds, nearly thirty

(01:31):
foot waves and torrential rain miles out at sea. Radica's
crew brought her attention to a small ship nearly appended
by the storm. Radika peered into binoculars. Through the wind
and rain, she could just make out a stranded fishing
boat struggling against the severe weather in the Bay of Bengal,
and there she saw it, a young boy racing against

(01:53):
the waves, waving his arms wildly in the air. Radiga
made the call her tea would divert course and attempt
to rescue the stranded crew members. On the tanker's first attempt,
the force of the wind pushed the fishing boat away
from them. Radika opted to kill the engine to make
sure the boat could pass safely by the tanker's propeller.

(02:15):
On the second attempt, Radika made contact two fishermen ascended
a rope ladder to make it safely onto the tanker.
A third attempt was made and the remaining five fishermen
were rescued safely aboard the tanker. The rescued fishermen were
able to contact their families via satellite phone for the
first time in a week. The rescue mission captured the

(02:40):
attention of the International Maritime Organization. In twenty sixteen, the
organization presented Radica with the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery
at Sea. She was the first woman to receive the honor.
Radika credited the success of the mission to the trust
she'd built amongst her crew. After receiving her award, Radika

(03:01):
continued to encourage women to join her on the seas.
To encourage open mindedness and to break down barriers to
employment and seafaring, Radika founded the International Women Seafarers Foundation.
The IWSF coaches women on paths into the industry and
how to approach leadership. As often one of the few
women on a ship, Radika said there is no stamp

(03:23):
on any profession, saying that it is for males or females.
Professions are not gender based. Radika is still out on
the waves for most of the year. She lives with
her family in Coachi. When she's not out at sea.
All month, we're talking about maritime madams. For more information,
find us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast. Special

(03:44):
Things to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co creator,
Talk to you tomorrow.