I am a maritime lawyer specialized in International Maritime Law. I worked as a Senior Legal Officer and have more than five years of experience in the Legislation and Litigation Service. I currently serve as the Head of the International Service at the Agence Portuaire, Maritime et Fluviale of Madagascar, where I work on legal, regulatory, and international cooperation matters within the maritime and port sector. I am also an active member of the Association for Women in the Maritime in Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa (WOMESA).
Women contribution in the maritime sector is inseparable from equitable and inclusive progress across the maritime sector. I love being part of an industry that keeps the world connected and moving. As a woman in maritime, I am proud to help break stereotypes and open doors for the next generation. The teamwork, resilience, and sense of purpose at sea make every challenge worth it. It has been the case that despite contributing significantly to the maritime sector, women in still face systemic barriers to resources and decision-making, reducing their overall contribution to maritime governance.
Women possess critical knowledge but face structural barriers that limit their ability to influence governance decisions. These barriers are gender- specific, lead to exclusion and the impact is not just a social issue; they fundamentally reduce decision quality, operational efficiency and overall performance. Examples, time and location constraints for meetings, informal social norms where cultural expectations discourage women from speaking in public forums and even lack of executive power over resource allocation.
However, in recent years, I have observed tangible progress for women in the maritime sector. Participation is now recognized as a strategic necessity. Change is no longer only discussed at policy level; it is increasingly reflected in concrete actions. For example, in line with IMO guidelines, there is growing attention to gender balance in access to maritime training, with efforts to ensure equal opportunities for both women and men. The same approach is increasingly visible in workshops, professional events, and recruitment processes, where women’s participation is actively encouraged.
In addition, the establishment of the International Day for Women in Maritime has helped raise visibility and recognition of women’s contributions across the sector. At the regulatory level, instruments such as the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) reinforce the principle of equality and non-discrimination among seafarers. Together, these initiatives demonstrate a clear shift from intention to implementation, and signal meaningful progress toward a more inclusive maritime industry.
Gender-responsive Interventions need to be done to better support women in the maritime sector:
- a) Compliance with rules/by-laws: While progress has been made, further efforts are still needed to better support women in the maritime sector. Stronger and more consistent enforcement of anti-harassment and anti-discrimination rules remains essential. Although many companies have policies in place, the main gap lies in effective reporting mechanisms and meaningful consequences when violations occur. (grievance resolution).
- b) Leadership Capacity building: In addition, early encouragement and improved access to maritime education continuous training are crucial to attracting more women to the sector and supporting long-term career development. Beyond simply creating space for a limited number of women, the industry must be designed to be inclusive from the outset—in terms of workplace culture, career pathways, and decision-making structures. This systemic approach is key to achieving lasting gender equality in the maritime sector.
- c) Governance bodies that do not reflect demographics end up losing trust leading to non-compliance. Therefore, it is important to recognize women as critical agents for institutional renewal and long-term contributors to maritime governance.
- d) Tracking progress: Moving from token participation to measurable influence requires tracking/ monitoring and evaluation to ensure accountability and impact across the sector.