IMO and WISTA International are passionate about ensuring that sector conferences and events have a diversity of thought and inclusive panels are the top way to achieve this. The two organizations have created the new Maritime Speakers Bureau platform, intending to end the tradition of all-male speaking panels.
The Maritime Speakers Bureau website is seeking positive commitment by asking people to sign one or more of its pledges: for speakers; organizers; and sponsors. By signing, they are committing to highlighting where there is a lack of diversity at events and doing what they can to improve things to ensure that maritime events have diversity and inclusion.
Creating this platform in collaboration with the IMO is a fantastic opportunity to help the wider maritime sector attract more diverse talent in an international industry. Women in our industry will be able to show their interest in participating in panels, becoming more visible and inspiring others. At the same time, event organisers will have the tools to make their panels more inclusive, diverse and interesting.
…Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, President of WISTA International, said.
For speakers, this is your opportunity to share your knowledge and experiences in your field of expertise and contribute to helping the audience benefit from diverse thoughts. This important initiative will support inclusive, diverse, richer panels from this free-to-use directory of industry speakers so that audiences can benefit from a range of perspectives that come from having diverse and inclusive view points.
…Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said.
The launch of the Maritime Speakers Bureau is another joint project under the IMO-WISTA Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on promoting greater diversity and inclusion through enhanced cooperation activities in the maritime sector. The MoU, singed in 2020, aims to set a framework for both IMO and WISTA to promote gender diversity and inclusion as vital factors in providing a sustainable future for the shipping industry worldwide. Earlier this year, IMO and WISTA provided the results of the first, 2021, IMO-WISTA Women in Maritime survey.
