Harnessing the full potential of the country’s maritime sector to drive the needed socio-economic growth will need an inclusive approach that focuses strongly on the role and aspirations of women, Jemilat Jawulaa Mahamah, Ghana President of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA), has indicated.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day 6th WISTA Africa Region Conference in Accra, she said an inclusive and gender balanced maritime domain will facilitate the full exploitation of the blue economy to drive the rapid growth of the local economy, and that of the continent at large.
“We are at a defining moment of diversifying our economy through the optimal use of our natural resources and the blue economy offers huge and enormous opportunities to diversify our growth agenda.
We will have to recognize the essence of the maritime environment and an inclusive, gender balanced domain in order to maximize the impact of the sector on the economy,” she noted.
Women currently constitute only two percent of the global maritime workforce, and this according to industry stakeholders, was very minimal for an industry that is worth US$1.5trillion annually and commands over 530million jobs.
Other speakers at the conference unanimously called for an action plan that will ensure more opportunities for women in the maritime trade and logistics value chain.
“Ensuring a sustainable future for the local shipping industry requires the participation and perspectives of women,” said Naa Densua Aryeetey, Head of Shipper Services and Trade Facilitation at the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA).
To her, the conference was timely as it will help the discourse on gender diversity and ultimately better the lot of women and girls in the regional maritime space.
She added: “This conference will provide the platform for networking and sharing of ideas that will help put together a blueprint on how women can play an active role in Africa’s blue economy.”
General Secretary of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Kitack Lim, in recognizing the low participation of women in the blue economy, said his outfit is working on building a reliable database that will help in policy directions and strategies on reversing the worrisome trend.
Mr. Lim commended WISTA Ghana for offering the platform for discussions that will help bridge the gap and break down barriers to women’s participation in the maritime sector.
“The sector has been regarded as mainly male-dominated but the IMO is driving the change for a gender balanced industry.
In that regard, we have supported and promoted access to maritime opportunities, training and jobs for women in the sector,” he said.
He added: “We are proud of the progress but we still have a long way to go.”