The lives of the 12 female sailors on Peace Ark are similar to those of college students, except they have a large ship to maintain.

After finishing work for the day, they usually gather in their cabins chatting and watch movies. Living next door to them, I often heard their music and laughter. Compared with the male sailors, the women have better living conditions; they have portholes in their cabins and independent toilets and shower spaces.

Apart from this, though, their working lives are no different from those of the male sailors.

"We've had women working on the ship temporarily, but this is the first time female sailors have joined a four-month cruise," said Guo Hongxia, the women's leading officer.

Wang Huizi, a 23-year-old radar operator who joined the navy in 2007, said her father was in the army so she has dreamed of a military life since she was a little girl.

"Sometimes I have to work more than 10 hours on shift, but I am still enjoying my life on the ship, especially watching movies and eating snacks with the other girls. Now I'm just worried about my weight," she laughed.

Gao Ting, a 24-year-old radio operator from Liaoning province, said she comes from the countryside, where her parents run a chicken farm. "My family is very supportive," she said. "I want to be an officer and I have been working very hard to achieve that goal."

According to Guo, female sailors have become the norm in many other navies, but are still a new experience for the Chinese navy. "When we were visited by an escort ship from the Netherlands, we saw how professional and capable their female sailors are," she said. "I believe that, given time, our girls will be just as good as them."

Peng Yining

(China Daily USA 09/09/2013 page7)