UN marks first ever international day spotlighting women working in maritime industry

• Published date: 18 May 2022
• Publication title: LETA

The first ever International Day for Women in Maritime kicked off its inaugural celebration on Wednesday with a seminar to "take stock and identify areas where improvement is needed", the top UN official representing seafarers said.

"Women account for just 20 percent of the workforce in the maritime authorities of Member States and 29 percent across subsectors in the maritime industry," International Maritime Organization (IMO) chief Kitack Lim told the virtual Symposium on Training-Visibility-Recognition: Supporting a barrier-free working environment for Women in Maritime.

Noting that these numbers are "significantly higher than those at sea, where women make up as little as two percent of the workforce," he added, "we can and must do better."

The day intends to celebrate and promote the recruitment, retention and sustained employment of women in the maritime sector.

By raising the profile of women in maritime, IMO is strengthening its commitment to the fifth Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG5) of gender equality while addressing gender imbalances in maritime.

"IMO is committed to gender inclusivity," underscored Mr. Lim.

Ample evidence supports that investing in women is the most effective way to lift up communities, companies, and even countries. Countries with more gender equality, enjoy better economic growth.

For over three decades IMO has been working to address the gender imbalance in its maritime programme.

"We have committed to this important cause - and we are seeing these efforts bear fruit," said Lim.

As enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, women in the maritime workforce is a benefit for everyone.

The IMO chief outlined the need for "creative thinking to navigate maritime towards a more sustainable, more diverse, and more inclusive green future," which requires "the brightest minds to address the challenges"...