The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) yesterday launched the Women in Maritime Association Caribbean (WiMAC)-Guyana chapter.
The launch was held at the Muneshwers Wharf at Houston, East Bank Demerara, in observance of World Maritime day under the theme “Empowering Women.”
WiMAC was initially launched in April of 2015 under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Its mandate is to represent the interests of women in the maritime industry in the Caribbean, nationally, regionally and internationally as stated in its Articles of Association. WiMAC was launched under the auspices of the first woman in Guyana to lead MARAD, Director General Claudette Rogers.
The purpose of the organisation is to increase the involvement of women in the maritime industry by creating a platform and forum for the effective articulation and promotion of the contributions of women to the industry; create a network to inspire, engage, educate and empower women in the maritime industry; and enable them to contribute to the development of the industry in the region and to promote the awareness among young women of career opportunities within the maritime sector.
Special guests at the event included the Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, who said that the government has taken positive steps in empowering women in the maritime sector and will make the effort to support the key principles in promoting gender equity and empowerment of women through mentorship programmes, showcasing women in the industry and creating of a network. He stressed that Guyana has a lot of work to do as statistics revealed that only two percent of seafarers are women and only one third of those onshore-based are women.
During her brief remarks, Rogers expressed her happiness at being a part of the launch of the organization. “Empowering women in the industry is a necessity which requires strong and positive action,” she added. In addition, she said she agrees with the mandate of WiMAc, as the involvement of women in the industry is vital. She saluted the National Maritime Organisation and told attendees that their attendance is them committing themselves to participate in the awareness programmes that will be part of networking. “These activities will ensure that we will rebrand the maritime profile,” Rogers stated.
