The Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) announced the formation of its Diversity Committee, a member-driven project to focus on providing practical solutions to increase opportunities for gender diversity in the maritime industry. The committee works as part of WISTA International’s 2018 theme: The Women Who Move the World.
WISTA International president Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, stated:
WISTA has always advocated for increased gender diversity in the maritime industry. Over the years our members and National WISTA Associations have taken significant steps in increasing the opportunities, support and roles for women in our industry. In light of #METOO, our members felt it was time to challenge the industry to join us in advocating for increased gender diversity. The goal is to put forward recommendations on practical solutions for the entire industry.
The Diversity Committee is mandated with three items.:
- First, creating recommendations and guidelines for increasing the capacity of women in the maritime industry by promoting diversity, inclusion and open-mindedness.
- Second, to write a pledge challenging the maritime community to advance diversity and inclusion in the industry, which includes specific actions that organizations can take to enhance diversity, and
- Finally, to recommend a forward strategy for WISTA International with practical solutions for increasing diversity and inclusion as next steps.
Committee findings and recommendations will be announced publicly and posted on the WISTA International website. Additionally, the Committee will develop a robust list of resources, including training, online workshops, kits and materials for the general public to use related to diversity and sexual harassment/assault in the workplace.
The Diversity Committee includes women from 11 National WISTA Associations, in acknowledgement of the global nature of the shipping industry. Members of the WISTA Executive Committee, Jeanne Grasso, Sanjam Gupta, and WISTA International President, Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, will be co-ordinating the committee.
