Scarlett Barnett-Smith is the proud Founder and CEO of a brand-new emergency period provisions solution, launched late last year, The Scarlett Box.
As a deck officer in the Merchant Navy, working her way up from a cadetship, the idea was conceived while working on board, as Scarlett soon found that on each vessel she was never provided with emergency period products.
“As a female in the maritime industry, it’s something I’ve always seen as a barrier, and the environment I work in should be as equally designed for me as for my male colleagues.”
Scarlett shared that she felt one of the leading factors for the lack of female seafarers in the Merchant Navy was due to this inequality, and that the environment itself would benefit from being more inclusive.
“If The Scarlett Box is in the workplace, it represents change. This change is intended to make more women comfortable in their working environment, which would help with retention and attraction.”
She believes that by providing The Scarlett Box on board, shipping companies can positively contribute to this change. By showing that they are stocking emergency period products alongside PPE, they are ensuring that women in the workplace are being thought of.
“Sometimes it can be quite isolating in a very male-dominated environment, and emergency period products are something I’ve needed multiple times, whether it’s whilst driving a ship, loading cargo, or being down in the engine room.”
With a legal responsibility to stay on duty as a deck officer, Scarlett created a solution to a very well-known panic many women will have faced at some point in their lives.
“We train for every emergency at sea, but this isn’t an emergency accounted for.”
After launching the solution at London International Shipping Week, she recounts how she never expected such a positive reaction.
“It’s gone better than I could have imagined. Most events I attended considered the future of shipping and what that looks like. To me, that means more females, that’s my dream. I think it will become a reality if we change the environment. I’m sure this isn’t going to make the whole industry change, but it is a start.”
But why now?1 Despite the seafaring industry having prehistoric origins and being long dominated by males, there is evidence of women disguising themselves as male sailors on Royal Navy ships in the 19th Century, as well as female pirates arming their own crews, or Captain’s wives taking command of ships while their husbands recovered from illness. Women have always had a presence in the industry and played crucial roles, but unfortunately, their needs were often left unconsidered.
“A simple solution like The Scarlett Box in the workplace says we’re here, we’re accounted for, and we’re cared for.”
Having an emergency period is never pleasant, especially when you’re driving a 200m ship. Carrying that responsibility, alongside a personal emergency on a vessel, in a port, or in a training facility where you’re already under high pressure to perform your duty, shouldn’t stand in your way.
“I feel that the shipping industry will change at a rapid pace in the next five to ten years, and part of that is employing more women and having a more diverse crew. How we do this is by making menstruation more accepted and more comfortable for our female seafarers.”
While acknowledging the natural female cycle, Scarlett expressed how she is making a conscious effort to learn more about the psychological aspect of why women can feel embarrassed by something so natural. However, the reality is that it can be difficult in the workplace, and without a female voice to speak for her demographic, this issue can often be overlooked by male counterparts. Therefore, by creating The Scarlett Box, she is ensuring women are noticed and changing the stigma surrounding menstruation.
- Royal Museums Greenwich, The women who went to sea – dressed as men, [Internet]. Greenwich, London: Vivien Morgan [cited 2026 January 29]. Available from:https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/maritime-history/women-who-went-sea-dressed-men
