Women in Maritime Day 2024: Shaping the Future of Maritime Safety

The International Day for Women in Maritime (ID4WIM) this year will focus on the important role of women in ensuring maritime safety globally, as well as the changing attitudes towards gender in the industry. The first IMO Gender Equality Award will be presented to Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou of Cyprus for her dedicated service to women in shipping during her time as president of WISTA International. Women in Maritime Day, observed on 18 May each year, aims to raise awareness of women in maritime and promote their recruitment, retention, and sustained employment in the sector.

Currently, women make up only 29% of the overall maritime workforce and 20% of the workforce of national maritime authorities, with less than 2% of seafarers worldwide being women. The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr. Arsenio Dominguez, emphasized the need for more investment in women’s education and professional development to empower women, drive innovation, and foster sustainability in the maritime industry. The IMO’s Women in Maritime program, initiated in 1988, supports gender equality and the empowerment of women through various initiatives.

Under the theme ‘Safe Horizons: Women Shaping the Future of Maritime Safety,’ an international symposium will be held at IMO Headquarters in London on 17 May 2024. The event will feature distinguished seafarers, maritime professionals, and leaders discussing maritime safety from a woman’s perspective and implementing a holistic approach to safety at sea with gender considerations. The symposium will also include the presentation of the first-ever IMO Gender Equality Award to Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou and will be livestreamed on IMO’s Youtube Channel. Women in maritime and the maritime community are encouraged to celebrate the day on social media using the hashtag #WomenInMaritimeDay and tagging IMO on various platforms.

Source .