An IMO training course for female officials from maritime and/or port authorities of developing countries to improve management and operational efficiency of their ports has taken place in Le Havre, France (26 June – 7 July). Participants from 20 countries* took part in the two-week “Women in Port Management” course, which included lectures on subjects such as port management, port security, port marine environment, facilitation of maritime traffic, the ship/port interface and organization of a container terminal.
Visits were organized to the Port of Le Havre, the Port of Rouen and the Harbor Master’s Office, enabling the participants to experience for themselves the day-to-day operations of a port with a view to applying this knowledge back in their respective countries.
The event was held under IMO’s gender and capacity-building programme, in collaboration with the Le Havre Port Authority, and held at the Institut Portuaire d'Enseignement et de Recherche (IPER). It comes as part of IMO’s ongoing efforts to support the UN Sustainable Development Goal number five: achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
*Twenty female officials from Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, Guyana, Jamaica, Jordan, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Viet Nam.