NOVEMBRE 2022 PAG. 54 - WISTA AGM emphasised Collaboration for Sustainability

 

During the AGM, held on 26 October in Geneva, Switzerland, WISTA International members unanimously voted to approve two new countries as members UAE and Denmark, bringing the total number to 56.

Mrs Jocelyn Hansen, the President of WISTA Denmark commented: “As the newly elected President of WISTA Denmark, it is my privilege to be here in Geneva at the WISTA International AGM & Conference. This is a fantastic opportunity to present the newly re-established WISTA Denmark and bring women together across the industry throughout the world to build a network and share knowledge and expertise.”

Mrs Rania Tadros, the President of WISTA UAE, declaired: ‘I am truly honored to be the President of WISTA UAE and look forward to working with the many people in the industry who are equally committed to diversity and inclusion. Attending the AGM in Geneva and meeting with some leading women in the industry, has truly inspired me and our mission is to grow WISTA in the UAE, through recognition and promotion of the significant contribution that women make to the industry.’

The WISTA International Conference, held on 27 and 28 October 2022, gathered leaders from the maritime industry who explored over the two days the theme of the conference “Collaboration for Sustainability” and “Cross-Industry Solutions for the Future” of the industry.

In the one-and-a-half-day conference, WISTA International members and guests worldwide shared their knowledge and experiences and discussed decarbonisation and ocean health. They also discussed the challenges faced in attracting talent in the maritime, the importance of diverse voices in the workforce and the actions needed to secure the industry’s future.

In his opening keynote speech to the conference, Secretary General Lim Kitack of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) highlighted the essential role WISTA International played in developing a sustainable future.

Mr Kitack stated, “IMO is founded on the principles of collaboration between Member States, NGOs and IGOs, who must all work together to ensure a sustainable future for shipping and the wider industry. As one of the international non-governmental organisations that participates in IMO discussions, WISTA International is an important part of this collaborative effort. The maritime world is rapidly changing and we must use every opportunity to ensure a greener and more secure future. IMO is committed to making maritime more welcoming to women, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 5, which aspires to ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’.

Maritime is still a male-dominated industry

The inaugural IMO-WISTA Women in Maritime Survey, published to coincide with International Day for Women in Maritime, showed that women account for only 29% of the overall workforce in the general industry - and 20% of the workforce of national maritime authorities in the Member States. The proportion of women working at sea is far lower – just 1.2% per cent. 

“The biggest factor in shaping our collective future is ensuring that we encourage new waves of women leaders. Through our partnership with WISTA International, IMO’s Women in Maritime programme sponsored 30 women from developing countries to take part in the first Maritime SheEO leadership accelerator programme in 2022. This eight-week programme was such a success that we sponsored a second group of female leaders, who will graduate later this year.”  He concluded.

Sandro Minardo