Latin America Empowers Maritime Women

International Maritime Organization (IMO), with support from Malaysia, has given fresh impetus to an important regional network helping to promote women in the maritime community in Latin America.

At a meeting in Colombia, (18-20 September 2019), the network of Women of the Maritime Authorities of Latin America (MAMLa) was put on a firm foundation. Maritime Authorities include Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Panama and Peru.

Some forty participants from 17 Maritime Authorities from the region established a governance and membership structure, agreed on a work program for 2020, highlighted training opportunities for members and formed a permanent secretariat, to be in Panama.

During the meeting, and as part of a mentorship and awareness-raising program, members of the MAMLa network visited a local primary school, to introduce a career in maritime to the next generation - in particular, to young girls.

MAMLa was established by IMO in Chile in December 2017, with support from the Government of Malaysia, as part of the highly successful campaign to promote women in the maritime community that IMO has been running for more than 30 years.

With IMO's help, several regional Women in Maritime Associations have been established, covering more than 150 countries and dependent territories. These associations provide a focal point for women in the maritime professions to meet, to network and to provide support and guidance to each other.

MAMLa's second regional conference was held to coincide with the recent World Maritime Day parallel Event, also in Colombia.