Established in November 2021, the United Nations International Maritime Organisation (IMO) council endorsed International Day for Women in Maritime is to be observed every year on May 18, aiming to promote employment of women in the shipping sector and celebrate women in the industry. Celebrating the day helps in acknowledging and raising the profiles of maritime industry women, a sector seemingly assumed to be for men by many. IMO supports the commitment to gender equality, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5, helping to address the current gender imbalance in the sector.
An online symposium organized by IMO is scheduled to be held on 18th May from 14:00 – 16:30hrs, British Standard Time (BST). The theme is Training-Visibility-Recognition: Supporting a barrier-free working environment for Women in Maritime.
Register here: https://imo-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/
A logo for the day is introduced by IMO and made available in 6 languages on the IMO website. The logo concept “Symbol of Women in Maritime” merges the female gender symbol and the maritime anchor symbol.
IMO is also aiming to provide visibility to the women in the industry by requesting the public share women in maritime with the hashtag #WomenInMaritimeDay.
It is not about your gender – it is about what you can do
This year marks the first year to celebrate International Day for Women in the shipping industry. Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, sends a statement for the first IMO International Day for Women in Shipping.
Read more on ShipDiary.com
- HMS Warrior launched in 1860 is now a museum ship
- Discovering Southampton Port
- ISGOTT Checks pre-arrival Ship/Shore Safety Checklist
- International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, SOLAS 1974
- ISGOTT-6 Bunkering Checklists: Updated Guidelines for Safe and Efficient Bunkering Operations
“Gender equality is recognized as a key platform for a sustainable future.” It is enshrined in Sustainable Development Goal 5, one of the 17 goals that underpin the UN Sustainable Development Agenda, which countries all over the world have pledged to implement. For more than three decades, IMO has been supporting gender equality through our Women in the Program Maritime, seeking to empower women in the sector through training, visibility, and recognition.” Secretary-General Kitack Lim.
Mr. Kitack Lim said that observing the day will promote more women’s recruitment, retention, and sustained employment in the maritime sector and will help to address the current gender imbalance in the sector.
He talked about the importance of International Day for Women in the Shipping.
Let’s take this opportunity to celebrate many women who are contributing to the future maritime industry as navigators, engineers, surveyors, CEOs, managers, representatives of governments and industry, those chairing Imo Organ meetings, and women in every other role across the industry. “Women are working in all facets of the maritime sector across the globe to support the transition to a decarbonized, digitalized, and more sustainable future for the maritime industry.”
Mr. Lim further highlighted the still existing gender imbalance in the industry.
“But times are changing as it becomes recognized that diversity in the maritime benefits the entire sector. Today maritime is for everyone” said Mr. Lim.
