Happy World Maritime Day!

Happy World Maritime Day from Women Offshore!

World Maritime Day was first held on March 17, 1978 to commemorate the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Convention of 1958. Since then, the IMO has celebrated World Maritime Day to focus attention on the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment. A theme is picked each year for World Maritime Day and is reflected in IMO’s work and a logo. 

World Maritime Day is celebrated by member states of IMO across the globe, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Maritime organizations hold special events and activities to celebrate the day, ranging from symposiums to luncheons.

“Empowering Women in the Maritime Community” is the theme this year for World Maritime Day. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality and highlight the contributions of women all over the world to the maritime sector.

Empowering women in maritime for gender equality is a key platform to build a sustainable future. In a message on IMO’s website, Secretary-General Kitack Lim shared, “The maritime community itself is missing out on a huge talent pool if it fails to properly empower women in the workplace. Gender-diverse teams are more productive than male dominated teams and gender-diverse workplaces promote better job satisfaction, employee engagement and retention.” Bottom line, having more women in the workplace is beneficial for all: organizations as a whole, men, and women.

As groups around the world come together to empower women in the maritime industry, here at Women Offshore, we hope that you will enjoy the festivities closest to you. We wish you a happy World Maritime Day, and we thank you and the IMO for making 2019 a powerful year to empower women in maritime!