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IMO and WISTA International launch first Women in Maritime Survey
17 February 2021Ashlee Williams
IMO and WISTA International survey will obtain baseline
data on number of women and their positions in maritime and oceans
fields.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the Women's
International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA
International) have launched the inaugural Women in
Maritime - IMO and WISTA International Survey 2021 to
examine the proportion and distribution of women working in the
maritime sector, from support roles to executive level
positions.
The survey is part of a series of activities aimed at laying the
groundwork for further discussions on how to build a more diverse
workforce within the maritime sector, essential for a sustainable
future. The data obtained by the survey will help build a picture
of diversity and gender equality in the industry.
The launch of the study follows the 2020 signing of the
IMO-WISTA Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on promoting greater
diversity and inclusion through enhanced cooperation activities in
the maritime sector. The MoU was signed by IMO and WISTA
International, an international organization whose mission is to
attract and support women at the management level, in the maritime,
trading and logistics sectors. The MoU 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.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said: "Diversity in maritime
matters. Empowering women fuels thriving economies across the
world, spurs growth and development, and benefits everyone working
in the global maritime community and beyond. We need solid data on
female participation, as this will enable us to track and quantify
our ambitions in what has traditionally been a male-dominated
sector. I am pleased to invite all Member States and maritime
stakeholders to take part in this important survey."
Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, President at WISTA International
said: "Having comparable data is a key component when creating
programmes and proposing policies that will increase the
participation of women in maritime. It is an essential step forward
in creating a more diverse and inclusive environment in our sector.
With our global reach we can amplify the strength of this survey to
show real results and back our drive towards an inclusive maritime
sector."
In addition to the just-launched survey, other initiatives under
the IMO-WISTA MoU include developing a database of female experts
in a wide range of maritime subjects who are available for speaking
engagements. This will contribute towards more diverse panels.
Another key objective of the IMO-WISTA MoU is to strengthen
cooperation and share best practices between the IMO-established
regional Women in Maritime Associations (WIMAs) and WISTA
International's National WISTA Associations (NWAs). WISTA will play
an important role in helping IMO reach out to women in the maritime
industry and to companies, to encourage them to fill out the
survey. WISTA will play an important role in helping IMO reach out
to women in the maritime industry and to companies, to encourage
them to fill out the survey.
In 2019, the IMO Assembly adopted Resolution A.1147(31) on
Preserving the legacy of the World Maritime theme for 2019 and
Achieving a Barrier-Free Working Environment for Women in the
Maritime Sector (link) which urges firm action
in coming years to advance gender equality throughout the maritime
sector and help create an enabling work environment that embraces
equality, diversity and reduces bias. The resolution was adopted
following a year of action to promote diversity under the World
Maritime theme, "Empowering women in the maritime community". This
work continues, including under the IMO women in maritime
programme. (Read more here)
Women in maritime survey
The IMO and WISTA International survey is open to IMO Member
States, IGOs, NGOs, public and private companies in the maritime
sector and maritime training establishments. There are two separate
surveys to be completed by Member States and industry.
The 2021 inaugural survey is being carried out by IHS Markit on
behalf of IMO The intention is to repeat the survey every three
years. The aim is to support implementation of the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 5 on gender
equality, SDG 8 on decent work, and SDG 17 on partnerships. The
data collected will assist in creating programmes and proposing
policies that will increase the participation of women in maritime,
thereby creating a more diverse and inclusive environment in our
sector.
Posted 17 February 2021 by Ashlee Williams, Senior Operations Manager, Shipping Commerce