In case of a ship sinking, does the rule “women and children first” apply?

No, at least there is no legal provision that mandates it. And in reality, the opposite is true: According to a study of 2012 by Swedish scientists, women’s chances of survival when a ship is sinking are actually worse than men’s. The researchers examined 18 shipwrecks from 1852 to 2011.

But where does the widespread belief come from that women and children must be rescued first? In addition to traditional moral values, the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 seems to have shaped the concept of “chivalry at sea” more than anything else. At that time, the captain gave the order to rescue women and children first. In fact, three times as many men as women died in that disaster. In subsequent shipping disasters, however, the motto “every man for himself” prevailed once again.

(last updated 06/2026)