By Godwill
Arthur-Mensah, GNA
Accra, July 19,
GNA – The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) governing body and its
Council have approved the Women’s International Shipping and Trading
Association’s (WISTA) application for consultative status on July 5, to promote
gender equality.
This was announced
in a press statement issued by Naa Densua Aryeetey, the WISTA International
Executive Committee Member for Africa Region/Head, Shipper Services and Trade
Facilitation, and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Thursday.
It said WISTA
International has been the voice for female executives in the maritime industry
since 1974, and currently has more than 3,000 members worldwide, representing
44 National WISTA Associations.
Members of the association
have participated in a number of global initiatives aimed at increasing
diversity and inclusion in the shipping industry.
Despina Panayiotou
Theodosiou, WISTA International President, said the consultative status would
give the opportunity to the association to promote diversity, inclusion and
women’s empowerment.
“We can now formally
contribute to the discussion for increasing capacity in our industry, a
critical component to promoting women in the industry both shore side and
shipboard.
The WISTA’s efforts
support the overarching principles in IMO’s Strategic Plan, especially the
promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women.”
It said the
association has been collaborating with organisations worldwide, including the
European Commission, International Chamber of Shipping, Inter Manager,
INTERTANKO, World Maritime University, ISWAN, the Institute of Chartered
Shipbrokers, and YoungShip.
This collaboration
would help increase women’s participation in the maritime industry to attain
the UN’s sustainable Development Goal Five-“Achieve Gender Equality and
Empowerment for all Women and Girls”.
“Empowering Women in
the Maritime Community” is the theme chosen by the IMO for the 2019 World
Maritime Day.
Mr. Kitack Lim, the
IMO Secretary General, said the theme would provide an opportunity to raise
awareness of the importance of gender equality in line with the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs Five) and to highlight the contribution of
women to the maritime sector.
GNA