PacWIMA wishes everyone a wonderful Day for Women In Maritime (D4WIM).
This year, a one-week online campaign commenced on the 18 May, celebrating the Day for Women In Maritime with the theme “Women in Maritime: Resilience and Leadership amidst a global pandemic”. The themes for IWD 2021 (Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world) and WMD 2021 (Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future) were used as a basis to consider the D4WIM theme for 2021.
We are grateful for the collaboration and support of Pacific-Community-SPC, International Maritime Organization – IMO, as well as leading maritime institutions such as IMO-International Maritime Law Institute, World Maritime University – headquarters together with the IMO Regional Women In Maritime networks – Arab Women in Maritime Association (AWIMA), Women in the Maritime Sector in East and Southern Africa (WOMESA), Red de Mujeres de Autoridades Marítimas de Latinoamérica (Red MAMLa), Women in Maritime Association, Asia (WIMA-Asia), Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WIMAC) and Women in Maritime of West and Central Africa – WIMoWCA in commemorating 18 May as the #D4WIM.
We appreciate you walking this journey with us to advocate for #SDG5 in our maritime sector as we showcase “Women in Maritime: Resilience and Leadership amidst a global pandemic”.
Dinah Inape-Omenefa
Chairperson
PACWIMA
#PacWIMA #WomenInMaritime #IMO #SPC #OurDayYourDayD4WIM
Day for Women In Maritime
Watch some amazing video messages in 2020
About the Day For Women In Maritime Logo
The seven strokes of the waves represent the 7 IMO Regional WIMA’s –
1. Arab Women in Maritime Association (AWIMA)
2. Association for Women in the Maritime Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa region (WOMESA)
3. Pacific Women In Maritime Association (PacWIMA)
4. Red de Mujeres de Autoridades Marítimas de Latinoamérica (Red-MAMLa)
5. Women in Maritime Association, Asia (WIMA Asia)
6. Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC)
7. Women in Maritime of West and Central Africa (WIMOWCA)
The anchor represents strength with the international women’s sign to acknowledge and honour women around the world for their contribution to society.
The significance of a Day for Women In Maritime –
D4WIM on 18th May is a Pacific-led initiative.
The conversation for the D4WIM was initiated when the regional association – Pacific Women In Maritime Association (PacWIMA) was relaunched during the Regional Conference for Pacific Women In Maritime in Tonga in April 2016 with the support and facilitation of SPC and IMO. This D4WIM was reaffirmed during the 2nd Regional Conference for Pacific Women In Maritime in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea in April 2018 with the date of 18th May agreed to as the D4WIM, with the commencement of celebrations in 2019. This event was a success. In 2020, PacWIMA in partnership with SPC and IMO ran a month-long video campaign and for the first time included the IMO Regional WIMA’s (Arab Women in Maritime Association (AWIMA), Women in Maritime Association, Asia (WIMA Asia), Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC), Association for Women in the Maritime Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa region (WOMESA), Red de Mujeres de Autoridades Marítimas de Latinoamérica (Red-MAMLa)), WMU and IMLI. The Pacific intends to continue with this event yearly.
Why a Day for Women In Maritime? Globally, women represent only 2% of the 1.2 million seafarers. In the Pacific, it is estimated that there are some 16000 persons working in the maritime sector and of this, only less than 11% are women (sea-based/shore-based).
Giving prominence to a Day for Women In Maritime will focus on women in, and intending to join the maritime sector and encourage Governments, Maritime Administrations, the Ship Owners, Ship Operators, all relevant agencies to promote and take action to celebrate the day meaningfully. This is a way to keep the conversation going, to set targets and see some tangible outcomes with more women in leadership roles, with more women being visible, with more women having access to capacity building opportunities.
We are looking at the D4WIM to become a global phenomenon envisaged to be celebrated annually, with a vision that the D4WIM becomes an IMO recognized annual event in addition to the Seafarers Day and the World Maritime Day.