“Use your power to empower”. “Say what you’re thinking”. “Listen to the ‘yes’ voice in your head”. “Return every phone call every day”. “Believe in yourself”.
This was the advice given by a wide variety of inspiring maritime women sharing their experiences of entering, working and leading in the maritime world at a special on "Women, ports and facilitation" at International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters, London (10 April).
The speakers presented on, and answered questions about, their work and the future for women in the field – identifying a series of key issues and recommendations. These include the importance of promoting female role models; increased access to education; mentoring; and taking advantage of training – with the overriding point being that work promoting gender equality needed to be done by both men and women together.
In his introduction to the event, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim emphasized IMO’s commitment to empowering women in the maritime community – this year’s World Maritime Day theme – and the importance of getting “all hands on deck”, both male and female, for the maritime world to continue to carry the world’s goods in a clean safe and efficient manner.
The event, organized by IMO and Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA), took place in the margins of IMO’s Facilitation Committee, which, this week, has been addressing the efficiency of shipping by dealing with all matters related to the free flow of international maritime traffic.