Africa’s Blue Economy, job opportunities, mentorship, marine environmental protection and addressing gender-based violence, were addressed at the 9th regional conference of the Association of Women Managers in the Maritime Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa (WOMESA) held in Antananarivo, Madagascar, from 26 to 28 September.
Under the theme “Opportunities and challenges facing African women in advancing the maritime sector”, about 60 participants from the region discussed and exchanged ideas on the empowerment of women in the African maritime sector.
IMO’s Helen Buni, leader of the IMO gender programme, emphasized that promoting women’s access to quality employment and senior management level within the maritime sector is a key priority.
She also underlined the fact that next year’s World Maritime Day theme “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community” will give additional motives to all the Associations to raise awareness of their activities.
The next WOMESA meeting will take place next year in Zambia.
