21 Sep 2023
Since 2015, the maritime industry has seen a 45.8% increase to 24,059 women seafarers globally. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is strongly committed to the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Goal 5, which focuses on the empowerment of women. Several public-private partnerships are advancing education and career development projects for women across the globe as well. The governments of Saudi Arabia and the UAE are heavily invested in promoting opportunities in the workplace for women. In fact, almost 43% of students at The Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport Branch in Sharjah are women – the highest percentage of female maritime students in the MENA region. Maritime communications technology is undergoing a momentous transformation. Digitalisation is literally transforming the face of the industry, paving the way for diversity and inclusion. In a conversation with Robban Assafina, Anastasia Kuzmenko, VP – Marketing & Communication, IEC Telecom Group, said, “With LEO technologies spreading rapidly across the industry, a wide range of applications are now available for seafarers – videoconferencing, remote maintenance, big data transfers, and more. These advances in connectivity make life at sea more attractive for the fairer sex. At IEC Telecom, we take a lot of pride to develop connectivity solutions that contribute to this historical shift.” Read more about digitalisation enabling gender parity in the maritime landscape in the article below. Complete text available in English.
