International Day for Women in Maritime 2024

2024 theme "Safe Horizons: Women Shaping the Future of Maritime Safety"

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Thank you for celebrating IMO International Day for Women in Maritime 2024! 

Under this year's theme "Safe Horizons: Women Shaping the Future of Maritime Safety", IMO celebrated the Day (18 May) with several events and actions: 

  • Social media - Onshore or offshore, share your pictures of maritime safety through a woman's lens! IMO invited women in maritime and everyone in the maritime industry to celebrate the day on social media using the hashtag #WomenInMaritimeDay. Tagging IMO on X formerly TwitterLinkedInInstagram; and Facebook allowed us to view and reshared some of the posts.

  • Symposium - A symposium took place on 17 May 2024 under the same theme "Safe Horizons: Women Shaping the Future of Maritime Safety". The symposium saw keynote speakers; panel sessions and the Presentation of the 2024 IMO Gender Equality Award. See all the details about the symposium below on this page. See all the photos of the event here

See below a summary of the event produced by our live illustrator


IMO Secretary-General video message

Watch IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez video message on the International Day for Women in Maritime 2024:

 

Symposium "Safe Horizons: Women Shaping the Future of Maritime Safety"

The Symposium took place on 17 May 2024 at IMO Headquarters, London, and online on IMO YouTube Channel.

See all the photos of the event here

Watch the recording of the event here

Programme

Please see the programme below, including keynote speakers; panel sessions and the Presentation of the 2024 IMO Gender Equality Award.

14.30 – 14.45   Opening of the event

  • Mr. Arsenio Dominguez - Secretary-General, IMO (Read full speech)

  • Ms. Elpi Petraki - President, WISTA International

14.45 – 15.45   Panel discussion - Reframing maritime safety

Moderator: 

Ms. Michelle Sanders - IMOGENder Network /Alternate Permanent Representative of Canada to the International Maritime Organization

Panellists:

  • Ms. Dorothea Ioannou - Chief Executive Officer, SCB, Inc., Managers of the American P&I Club

  • Ms. Karin Orsel - Chair, European Community Shipowners Association

  • Capt. Gemma Capone - Marine Pilot Loadmaster/Marine Assurance Specialist

  • Ms. Carolina Riesco - Partner, Goldenberg & Riesco/Maritime Law Advisor

  • Mr. Helio Vicente - Director, Employment Affairs International Chamber of Shipping

15.45 – 16.00   Presentation - Diversity@Sea pilot project

16.00 – 16.30   Coffee Break

16:30 – 17.10   Fireside chat - A holistic approach to safety at sea

  • Capt. Jaquelyn Burton - Master Mariner and Head of Creative Design, Kongsberg Maritime

  • Prof. Momoko Kitada  - Full Professor and Head, Maritime Education and Training (MET), World Maritime University

17.10 – 17.30   Gender Equality Award Ceremony


The symposium was conducted in person, in all six official languages of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish). 

 

Background

The IMO International Day for Women in Maritime is observed on 18 May every year. 

The day celebrates women in the industry and is intended to promote the recruitment, retention and sustained employment of women in the maritime sector, raise the profile of women in maritime, strengthen IMO's commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality) and support work to address the current gender imbalance in maritime. 

IMO Member States, the maritime industry, and all others in the maritime endeavour are invited to promote and celebrate the International Day for Women in Maritime in an appropriate and meaningful manner.   

Learn more about the IMO's Women in Maritime Programme here.

See all details about previous International Day for Women in Maritime here