WMU is the International Maritime Organization’s centre of excellence and is a global center for ad- vanced education, research and capacity-building, offering high-quality professional education and providing students with unique insights into the maritime and ocean sectors.
The University high- lights the adoption of equal opportunities policy and positively welcomes applications from women, who are currently under-represented in the field of maritime and ocean studies and employment. How important is this decision for the future of women in the maritime industry?
Despite advances for women in both maritime and ocean professions, as a global society and major industry such as shipping, we are still very far from providing, and ensuring, equal opportunities for everyone, particularly with respect to women in leadership positions. I firmly believe that education is a key factor and has a lasting impact on capacity-building in the maritime and ocean industries. WMU plays a significant role in maritime and ocean education, research, capacity-building and economic development while promoting the role of women in maritime and ocean affairs. Each year, roughly 30% of the students in our MSc in Maritime Affairs programme in Malmö, Sweden are female. This is a marked improvement compared to 3% in 1983. We are particularly proud of our MSc pro- grammes delivered in Shanghai and Dalian, China, which have already achieved milestones in gender parity. Through recruitment strategies and support from fellowship donors, the proportion of WMU female students and faculty continues to increase, but there is still more work to be done!
With generous support of donors, WMU is engaged in a research and capacity building Programme on Empowering Women for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Develop- ment. This programme was officially endorsed as an Ocean Action by IOC-UNESCO during the official launch of the Decade. Also in support of advancing women in the maritime and ocean professions, in 2019, WMU organized the Third International Conference on Empowering Women in the Maritime Community. The Conference identified 17 actions to advance gender balance in the maritime and oceans sectors. They include promoting women role models, engaging with children in primary and secondary education to raise awareness of career opportunities in the maritime and ocean fields for women as well as securing priority funding for gender research.
With donor support, WMU will continue to build maritime and ocean capacity and advance the role of women in the maritime and ocean sectors. For a sustainable maritime and ocean future, we need to ensure that everyone is represented equally at the decision-making table, not solely for the benefit of women, but for the benefit of society as a whole.
* President, World Maritime University
The answer was provided for NAFS magazine issue 143 in its special report “WOMEN in SHEPPING”