A day to honour ladies in the industry will be observed annually
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council has set aside 18th May to celebrate all ladies in maritime, with the aim to promote recruitment, retention and sustainable employment.
Celebrating ladies at sea
Gender imbalance has been persistent in the maritime sector for years. In an industry dominated by men, this new initiative will certainly improve the attractiveness of seafaring to ladies. IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said: “I welcome the Council’s adoption of this proposal. Not only will it further achieve United Nations’ (UN) sustainable development goal (SDG) 5 on gender equality, it is a perfect follow-on action to the IMO Assembly’s resolution and call to achieve a barrier-free environment for women so that all women can participate fully, safely and without hindrance in the maritime community, including seafaring and shipbuilding.”
Malaysia is a strong supporter of the new initiative. Minister of Transport, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong praised in his Facebook post, “On behalf of the Malaysian Government, I welcome and applaud the IMO’s decision to establish an International Day for Women in the maritime industry.” Datuk Seri Dr Wee said that women represent just 1.2 per cent of the global seafarer workforce, and Malaysia has consistently supported the IMO’s Women in Maritime Agenda (WIMA). He noted the decision is in line with the UN’s SDG 5 to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls in maritime.”
Datuk Seri Dr Wee expressed confidence in more ladies joining the maritime industry once the opportunities return. He related an account where Eaglestar Marine Holdings gave command of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier to its first female captain through the appointment of Captain Eezmaira Sazzea Shaharuzzaman as Master of the 153,000-cbm MV Seri Bijaksana – a landmark moment for the Malaysian company. He remarked, “I hope her story would inspire more women to pursue maritime training.”
Crewing Online News Team
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