The 2019 World Maritime Week kicked off in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (10 September), with an opening session dedicated to "Encouraging gender diversity in the maritime industry" in recognition of this year's IMO World Maritime theme.
During the session, IMO showcased its Women in Maritime gender programme. The primary objective of the IMO Women in Maritime programme is to encourage IMO Member States to open the doors of their maritime institutes to enable women to train alongside men and acquire the high-level of competence that the maritime industry demands.
Made up of an international panel of women in the maritime sector, stimulating debates followed. More than 400 participants across the maritime industry in Malaysia, including maritime authorities, sectoral professionals, academia, industry leaders and experts attended the event to meet, network and promote collaboration and the exchange of ideas.
The event was organized by the Malaysia Shipowners' Association (MASA).