30. There was no gender equality on the Titanic – the crew was 97% male and most of these were just casual workers instead of skilled sailors.
When it set sail from Southampton, the Titanic was carrying a crew of 885. Since this was 1912, the White Star Line was not big on gender equality in the workplace. As such, the crew was 97% male. That is, there were just 23 female employees on board. Almost all of these were employed as stewardesses, catering to the needs and whims of the upper-class passengers. Like the majority of the male crew members, they were not sailors, nor were they permanent staff. In most cases, they only stepped aboard the Titanic for the first time a few hours it departed on its maiden voyage.