The Women in Maritime West and Central Africa, WIMOWCA has been inaugurated in Accra.
The association is an International Maritime Organization, IMO initiative aimed at promoting and empowering women in the maritime industry.
Members of the association who are located in countries within the sub-region include accomplished women who have influenced the development of the maritime industry in many ways.
Inaugurating the association, the Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah says ghana is creating more opportunities to make maritime trade more appealing to women globally.
He stressed ‘the participation of women in this maritime space has been a key ingredient to our sustenance and development’.
The Minister maintained that it is refreshing that women in the Maritime Industry in West and Central Africa, recognize their contributions to global efforts in helping build a sustainable maritime domain.
The Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization, Kitack Lim reiterated to achieve holistic and sustainable development in the global maritime domain, there is an urgent need to bridge the gender gap.
He further added that ‘There have been over 30-years of action taken at the international level to encourage women’s participation in maritime domain. For example, in 1983, the IMO established the World Maritime University (WMU) to help build capacity in the maritime sector. In 1988, the IMO established a Women in Maritime Capacity Building programme , at a time when women’s enrolment into maritime training institutions was very minimal’’.
The Minister of State for Transportation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki urged the associations to forge for stronger corporation.
A 12- member Executives were sworn into office by the former deputy transport minister, Joyce Bawa Mogtari.
The executives are made up of women from Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, cameroun, Nigeria, Togo, Liberia, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe and Dr Congo.
The Association logo was unveiled to officially commences activities of the association.
President of the WIMOWCA, Ms sylvia Asana Dauda Owu will promote access to the sector through education, training and Career Opportunities.
Women associations in the sector Women in Maritime Eastern and Southern Africa, WOMESA,Arab Women in Maritime Association, AWIMA, Pacific Women In Maritime Association, PACWIMA, , Women in maritime Association Carribean, WIMAC Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association, WISTA, and WIMAFRICA, encouraged the new association to join the force to seek gender equity in the industry.
the event which was joined by women from all around the world virtually.
A panel discussion on the impact of maritime insecurity on shipping in the gulf guinea, challenging and the way forward was held virtually with panelist including attracting IMO Ms. Alykka Stella Aber – IMO Maritime Security Section,
– Deputy Director, Senegal Maritime Authority, Ms. Ndeye Anna SOW, Maritime Consultant, Dr. Kofi Mbiah, –Mrs. Sophie De Sylvie DJOUFA TIEMAGNI, Founder and CEO of TIEMAGNI Law Firm (Douala – Cameroon) and Admiral Francis Dan Akpan.
The inaugural ceremony was on the theme’ Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea’
By Josephine Antwi Adjei
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