The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has published a video in view of the upcoming Women in Maritime Day on 18 May, with Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez highlighting the importance of the day and calling the industry to action.
The IMO International Day for Women in Maritime is observed on 18 May every year. The day celebrates women in the industry and is intended to promote the recruitment, retention and sustained employment of women in the maritime sector, raise the profile of women in maritime, strengthen IMO’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality) and support work to address the current gender imbalance in maritime.
The 2022 IMO-WISTA Women in Maritime survey shed light on the underrepresentation of women in the maritime industry. The findings revealed that women constitute merely 2% of the crewing workforce, with a predominant presence in the cruise sector. Regarding ship-owning companies, there’s a notable 34% representation of women in the workforce, with varying distributions across roles: 39% in mid-management, 28% in technical core roles, and 48% in administrative and support positions.
In terms of leadership, 125 out of 500 surveyed companies had female CEOs, 127 had female chief HR officers, and 109 had female chief financial officers.
Arsenio Dominguez explained that this year the industry celebrates under the theme “Ocean of opportunities for women,” recognising the vast potential for inclusion, innovation and equality across the many different areas of work in the maritime world, from deck to ballroom, from ocean scientists to maritime administrator. Education, mentorship, policy and culture will bring down the barriers that have hindered progress.
It is time to build the momentum for change. Let’s take today to dive into gender equality. Join me and tag someone who is making waves in the maritime world and opening up opportunities for all. Share how you support gender equality and diversity at sea.
… said the Secretary-General
