Programme calls for more women in maritime

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Women’s International Shipping & Trading Assocation (WISTA) and Maritime SheEO have launched the ’Maritime SheEO Leadership Accelerator Programme 2022’ in a bid to encourage more women to join the sector. 

During a webinar to launch the programme, keynote speakers said the programme was important as a springboard for women within maritime at a time when the industry was recognising the gender disparity within its ranks.

Plans include promoting recruitment, retention and sustained employment of women in the industry, raise their prfile and work to address the imbalance, although no specific details as to how this could be achieved were announced.

Coinciding with the UK ‘International Women’s Day’ on March 8, the launch was addressed by keynote speakers including Despina Pan Theodosiou, who is president of WISTA.

”The women who begin this programme represent our future,” she said. ”Some are already in roles of some authority and leadership, others aspiring to gain further recognition and position in their careers. They seek what any career-inspired individual at work seeks but often find they do not have the opportunities to do so. This course will help fill that gap.