More women are joining the maritime ranks in a variety of
professions within the industry. To encourage this trend and with a view to
continuing the momentum to empower women in the maritime community, IMO is
supporting a virtual training course aimed at female officials from maritime
and port authorities.
Twenty-four women from developing countries*, with a focus
on Africa, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and Least Developed Countries
(LDCs), are undertaking a virtual Port Senior Management Programme, organized
by the Galilee International Management Institute (GIMI) in Nahalal, Israel (24
November to 21 December).
Over 12 sessions (22 hours), participants were provided with
key information and updates on innovations in the port industry. Subjects covered include global trends and
advances in port development, management and operations; port security and
efficiency in container terminals; and international law concerning ports and
ships. Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the course programme had to be adapted
from the usual in-person training. Site visits to the Israeli Maritime Training
Authority in Akko and practical simulator exercises were not included in the
course programme.
The event was delivered through IMO's gender and
capacity-building programme, in collaboration with GIMI. It comes as part of
IMO's continuous efforts to support the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 to
achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. These
capacity-building initiatives continue, through virtual training.
*Participants were from: Bulgaria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Jamaica, Kenya,
Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Solomon
Islands and Uganda.