International work to promote gender equality and diversity in the maritime industry
There is already a great deal of work taking place internationally that should be built upon further. Since its establishment in 1988, the IMO’s gender equality programme has contributed to strengthening gender equality for women in the maritime sector in developing countries.
For many years Norway has earmarked NOK 1 million to support field-specific IMO projects. In 2022 the Norwegian Government chose to allocate Norway’s contribution to the IMO’s gender equality programme. Norway’s contribution is divided into two activities, including the «Maritime SheEO virtual leadership accelerator programme» and a database for female maritime experts.
The «Maritime SheEO Leadership Accelerator» programme was launched on International Day for Women in Maritime 2022. The programme was developed in consultation with key industry experts in the IMO and WISTA and aims at equipping women who work in the maritime sector at government level with the leadership skills and the confidence to take an active part in decision-making processes. The IMO has already sponsored 60 women from developing countries to participate in the programme, which is divided into two rounds of courses. Norway’s contribution will result in a third course, by which time nearly 100 women will have participated in the programme.
The database of female maritime experts was created through a collaborative agreement between the IMO and WISTA. The purpose is to increase the visibility of women in the maritime sector and promote the different skills and perspectives that women possess. The database will also contribute towards expanding and enriching the diversity of speakers at various maritime events. Norway’s financial contribution will be used to further develop the database.
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) works actively to contribute to gender equality and diversity in international shipping. The ICS has developed a toolkit with the aim to create awareness about diversity and to help companies work actively and purposefully towards an inclusive industry, among other things. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and ICS have developed a guide to prevent harassment and bullying on board ships. The objective is to assist shipping companies in consultation with seafarers and seafarers’ organisations, in developing guidelines and routines for eliminating harassment and bullying.