International Day for Women in Maritime 2026
2026 theme: "From Policy to Practice: advancing gender equality for maritime excellence"
Thank you for celebrating IMO International Day for Women in Maritime 2026!
IMO Event: From Policy to Practice: advancing gender equality for maritime excellence
To mark the 2026 International Day for Women in Maritime, IMO organized an event under the theme "From Policy to Practice: Advancing Gender Equality for Maritime
Excellence", aligning with the World Maritime Day theme “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.”
The event took place on 18 May 2026 at IMO Headquarters, London, and it was live-streamed on IMO YouTube channel.
Photos
Watch the event again:
The event included:
Gender Equality Award Ceremony - Professor Momoko Kitada, nominated by Japan, received the IMO Gender Equality Award 2026. Find more information about previous Awards and winners here.
Launch of the Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming - Professor Momoko Kitada, World Maritime University
Programme
Please find the programme here and below.
Please find the speakers bios here.
Programme
16.00 – 16.30 Registration
16.30 – 16.35 Opening of the event by Mr. Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General, IMO
16.35 – 16.50 Expert perspective: “Why Gender Mainstreaming Matters: Challenges and Gaps in the Maritime Sector”
Moderator: Atty. Sharon De Chavez-Aledo, Maritime Attaché, Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the IMO, Chair of HTW Sub-Committee & Co-Chair IMOGENder
Speaker: Professor Anna Petrig, University of Basel
16.50 – 17.00 Launch of the Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming Professor Momoko Kitada, World Maritime University
17:00 – 17.15 Expert perspective: “From Commitment to Action: Best Practices in Gender Mainstreaming”
- Moderator: Atty. Sharon De Chavez-Aledo
- Speaker: Mia Krogslund Jørgensen, Vice President and Head of People, Culture & Strategy, Hafnia
17.15 – 17.30 IMO Gender Equality Award Ceremony
The 2026 IMO Gender Equality Award will be presented to Professor Momoko Kitada
17.30 – 20.30 Reception
Social media celebrations
IMO invited women in maritime and professionals across the entire industry to celebrate this year’s theme by joining us on social media using the hashtags #WomenInMaritime and #WomenInMaritimeDay
Watch and share this video to celebrate the International Day for Women in Maritime 2026!
Background
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.
Learn more about the IMO's Women in Maritime Programme here.
See all details about previous International Day for Women in Maritime here.