In line with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) efforts to empower women in the maritime sector, the Arab maritime industry also marked the International Day for Women in Maritime by launching various initiatives.

‘She of Caliber’

The UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure  launched the ‘She of Caliber’ initiative that aims to train and qualify women experts to drive progress across the sector, as well as promote its growth in the UAE. The initiative recognises the role of women in the maritime industry and supports the country’s efforts to nurture young female talents to lead the sector’s transformation.

“Advancing the role of women in maritime has become a topic of unprecedented importance and receives great attention at all levels. The UAE is among the founders of the IMOGENder, a network for IMO delegates seeking to achieve gender equality,” Undersecretary for the Infrastructure and Transport Sector at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, HE Engineer Hassan Mohamed Juma Al Mansoori said, highlighting that the UAE has also contributed to drafting several IMO resolutions to support women empowerment and gender equality, as well as to promote women’s participation in the maritime sector.

“This supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 5, which focuses on gender equality,” he added, underlining that the UAE currently holds the presidency of the Arab Women in Maritime Association (AWIMA), in cooperation with the IMO Technical Cooperation Programme.

Breaking the bias

On her part, the Advisor to the Minister for Maritime Transport Affairs, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Engineer Hessa Al Malek affirmed that like other industries, the maritime sector needs both male and female skilled professionals. Thus, preconceived notions about the sector need to change.

Asry celebrates

Bahrain-based Asry, Gulf’s leading maritime repair and fabrication facility, celebrated working women in conjunction with the International Day for Women in Maritime at the company’s headquarters in Hidd.

Attended by the company’s managing director Mazen Matar and chief financial officer Sahar Ataeei along with other officials the celebration was held with the aim of spotlighting women as key partners in the company’s success.

The company has recently appointed women to key roles including Hanan Alali as business transformation manager, Sara Abdin as the head of corporate communications, Ameera AlShaiba as the first female diver to join the team, Noor Seyadi as the first Bahraini female to join the engineering team, and Shoug Hussain as project coordinator in the ship repair department.

MoU SIGNED

The Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport (AASTMT) and the Arab Women in Maritime Association (AWIMA) signed an MoU at IMO HQ in London to explore opportunities for women’s participation in the regional maritime sector.

The agreement is in alignment with International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) efforts to create gender equity in the maritime industry globally and United Nations’ (UN) 5th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).