A ground breaking event took place in Alexandria, Egypt (15-19 October) when 30 women from nine Arab countries officially launched The Arab Association for Women in the Maritime Sector (AWIMA). The new network joins the IMO family of regional Women in Maritime Associations (WIMAs), giving visibility and recognition to the role women play as key resources for the maritime sector.
Ships’ surveyors, harbourmasters, marine engineers and maritime lawyers, to name a few, came together at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) to set a framework for the new network. The goal is to provide training and knowledge-sharing to facilitate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Female cadets studying at the AASTMT also joined the opening ceremony to demonstrate the changes taking place in the industry and to encourage other young women to join the maritime sector, which offers the many benefits of a maritime career, particularly in seafaring careers.