Regional commitment of the Pacific on the advancement of women and gender equality in the maritime sector was at the forefront of a meeting held by The Pacific Women in Maritime Association (PacWIMA) in Nuku’alofa, Tonga (24-28 April). Thanks to IMO funding, the association was able to meet and discuss the regional strategy for Pacific women in the maritime sector, e launching their new website and collaborating with the World Maritime University`s Women’s Association. The strategy seeks to encourage women who aspire to train for, and work in, the maritime sector, by raising awareness and providing the tools for civil society and local communities to create an enabling environment for them to do so.
Executive members of PacWIMA also attended the Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers’ Meeting, to highlight women`s economic contribution and leadership to the Pacific maritime sector. IMO`s Juvenal Shindu, who was in attendance, reiterated that maritime transport has a role to play in contributing to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDG) and in particular SDG 5 in supporting regional activities through empowering women.