Women Achieving Leadership Roles in Maritime Industry Must Be Sustained – Min. Vaz

All efforts should be made to sustain the culture of women operating in leadership roles in the Maritime Industry across the world, which is on the rise.

This was the message from Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Darryl Vaz, at the sixth Annual General Meeting of the Women in Maritime Association Caribbean (WiMAC) Regional Conference.

His message was read by Chairperson of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, Corah Ann Robertson Sylvester, at the conference, which is being held from October 3 to 5 at the Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny, under the theme ‘Navigating Horizons: Mobilising Stronger Networks for Caribbean Women towards a Sustainable Maritime Industry’.

“We are well aware that women work in every aspect of the maritime industry all around the world to assist the shift to a decarbonised, digitalised, and more sustainable future for the sector,” Minister Vaz said. He pointed out, however, that “there is still a gender gap in the marine industry, even as things change and it becomes clear that diversity in the industry is good for everyone”.

Women currently represent 1.2 per cent of the global seafarer workforce as per the Baltic International Maritime Council/International Chamber of Shipping (BIMCO/ICS) 2021 Seafarer Workforce Report.

With the report estimating 24,059 women serving as seafarers, which is a 45.8 per cent increase compared with the 2015 report, Minister Vaz contended that this represents a positive trend in gender balance within the industry.

The Minister also highlighted the importance of organisations such as WiMAC.

“With the recognition of gender equality as a key pillar for a sustainable future, access to these regional maritime associations for women provides members with a platform to discuss a number of issues, not just about gender but also technical issues,” Minister Vaz said.

He added that these associations also assist in bridging the gap and narrowing some of the institutional barriers and cultural stigma facing women who enter the maritime industry.

The Minister issued a charge to the conference delegates, through their collective efforts and the organisations they represent, to continue to be deliberate and take a strategic approach towards enhancing the contribution of women as key maritime stakeholders.