E TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION COMMITTEE 61st session Agenda item 8 TC 61/8 1 April 2011 Original: ENGLISH PROGRAMME ON THE INTEGRATION OF WOMEN IN THE MARITIME SECTOR Report on 2010 Note by the Secretariat SUMMARY Executive summary: This document reports on the implementation of activities under the Programme on the Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector from January to December 2010 Strategic direction: 3 High-level action: 3.3.1 and 3.5.2 Planned output: 3.5.2.1 Action to be taken: Paragraph 16 Related documents: TC 61/3 and TC 61/5 1 IMO's technical cooperation activities have provided the forum for the implementation of the IMO Strategy for Women in Development, promoting the endorsement of gender considerations in the maritime sector. This approach to the integration of women in the maritime sector was reinforced pursuant to the development of the UN Millennium Goals (MDG), which defined the objectives to be attained by Member States and UN agencies with respect to the implementation of eight cross-sectoral priorities, including MDG 3 "Promote gender equality and empower women". 2 Through the discrete global Programme on the Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector (IWMS), which represents the primary vehicle for articulating MDG 3, the Secretariat has continued to reinforce this aspect of capacity-building through its global programmes for technical co-operation. The policy linkages relating to this issue are reflected also in the Organization's Strategic Plan, which addresses gender aspects under Strategic Direction 3 "IMO will strengthen its capacity-building programmes". Further linkages are made through the High-Level Action Plan, which includes "strengthening the role of women in the maritime sector". Capacity-building programme 3 Strengthening national and regional capacities remains the touchstone of the IWMS Programme, placing particular emphasis on gender-specific fellowships which represent a practical mechanism for reinforcing the access to training opportunities for women in the
Page 2 developing regions. One of the outcomes of this approach is the identification and selection of women for career development opportunities in maritime administrations, ports and maritime training institutes. 4 In 2010, fellowships were awarded to female participants from Côte d'ivoire, Ghana and Thailand to attend the 24 th Advanced course on port operations and management (September to October 2010), held at the Port Training and Research Institute (IPER), Le Havre, France. 5 Funding was also allocated to participants from Dominica and Togo to attend the Senior Port Management Programme (November 2010), held at the Galilee International Management Institute (GIMI), Israel. 6 Under the auspices of the Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT), Alexandria, Egypt, and of the International Women's Maritime Forum for MENA and Africa 1, support was provided for a regional seminar on the management of climate change and its impact on water resources. Held at AASTMT in April 2010, the seminar was attended by participants from Egypt, Jordan, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Nigeria, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, and Tunisia. The outcome of the seminar was the reinforcement of regional capacities and linkages between national maritime officials and the upgrading of their professional knowledge relating to the mitigation of climate change as it pertains to shipping. 7 The IWMS Programme also supported the delivery in May 2010 of a regional seminar for women maritime managers from the Africa region, held at IPER, Le Havre, France. Participants included officials from Benin, Cape Verde, Côte d'ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal. Strengthening regional partnerships 8 As one of the principal cornerstones of the IWMS Programme, the development and strengthening of formal regional partnerships between women managers in the maritime and port sectors was a significant aspect of the 2010 programme. In assisting the effective implementation of IMO's instruments, these associations also provide a springboard for developing regional training opportunities for women, taking into account any socio-cultural mores which may impinge negatively on the latter's career development. 9 In accordance with those objectives, a regional workshop for women managers in the maritime sector was held in Manila, the Philippines from 26 to 29 January 2010, attended by 51 participants from 17 countries in the Asia subregion, resulting in the launch of the Women in Maritime Association Asia (WIMA-Asia). The new Association adopted a resolution on "Enhancing the role of Women Managers in the Maritime Sector, Asia", requesting that it be submitted to the Technical Co-operation Committee for information and, where applicable, to secure the support of Member States in the delivery of the resolution's aims (annex 1 refers). 10 The Manila workshop was attended by a number of women seafarers from the Asia region and, in recognition of the theme "2010: Year of the Seafarer", operative paragraph 5 of the resolution on the contribution of women in the maritime sector urges the maritime industry to make sufficient provision to increase opportunities for sea-time and on-the-job training for female seafarers, so that women may acquire the requisite level of practical experience to enhance their professional maritime skills. 1 Launched in July 2007 with support from IMO.
Page 3 11 Assistance was also made available to the Association for Women in Maritime, east and southern Africa (WOMESA), through the funding of a seminar on "Gender interaction with development in the maritime sector", held in Durban, South Africa from 6 to 8 December 2010. The WOMESA Council also met during the seminar to discuss the harmonized implementation of IMO regulations and the further development of their Strategic Plan. 12 An item of particular relevance was the address by Ms. Nontsi Tshazi, who outlined her experiences as a woman working at the operational level on board ship, and gave a remarkable insight into the pressures and obstacles which face African women in particular when they are sailing, often as the only female, on board ships within an all male environment. Ms. Tshazi also informed that history had been made in October 2010, when the all-woman crew of the MV SA Agulhas, South Africa's ice-strengthened polar research vessel, sailed into Durban harbour from Cape Town, guided into port by a female harbour pilot, as part of National Water Week. 13 The WOMESA Members appealed to IMO to pay particular attention to the issue of training cadets who are unable to complete the required sea-time due to the lack of available berths. New vessels in particular, are designed with fewer berths, which implies that there are even less opportunities for cadets to complete their training. As a result, the funding spent on the academic part of the training is often wasted, and this is a cause of particular hardship in African countries where families have to make enormous sacrifices to pay for their children's education. 14 In order to reinforce that appeal, WOMESA requested that their resolution no. 2 (2010) on the "Facilitation of sea training for women cadets to strengthen the maritime sector for Eastern and Southern Africa" be presented to TC 61 in June 2011. In addition, IMO was urged to provide training consultants, to facilitate the transfer of skills to WOMESA members (annex 2 refers). 15 Furthermore, in order to facilitate the continued strengthening of WOMESA as a regional channel for the harmonized implementation of IMO instruments and regulations, IMO was requested to include funding for further regional training events for east and southern Africa, under the new ITCP for 2012-2013. Action requested of the Committee 16 The Committee is requested to:.1 take note of the report on the implementation activities undertaken under the IWMS Programme from January to December 2010 and make such comments and recommendations as it deems appropriate;.2 take note of the issues raised under resolution, adopted by WIMA-Asia on 29 January 2010 on "the contribution of Women in the Maritime Sector in enhancing the development and sustainability of the Asia region" (annex 1 refers); and.3 take note of WOMESA resolution no. 2 (2010) on the "facilitation of sea training for women cadets to strengthen the maritime sector for eastern and southern Africa" (annex 2 refers). ***
Annex 1, page 1 ANNEX 1 REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON THE ROLE OF WOMEN MANAGERS IN THE MARITIME SECTOR, ASIA (WIMA-ASIA) RESOLUTION ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN IN THE MARITIME SECTOR IN ENHANCING THE DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ASIA REGION THE DELEGATES, RECALLING the aims and objectives of the International Maritime Organization's Programme for the Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector, RECALLING ALSO the aims and objectives of the International Maritime Organization's Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme, RECOGNIZING the International Maritime Organization's efforts to promote the participation and advancement of women in all areas of the wider maritime sector, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the objectives of the third Millennium Development Goal (MDG) "Promoting gender equality and empowering women", CONSIDERING the objectives of the declaration of the Advancement of Women in the ASEAN Region in 1988 (Bangkok, Thailand), including "to promote and implement the equitable and effective participation of women whenever possible in all fields and at various levels of the political, economic, social and cultural life of society at the national, regional and international levels", CONSIDERING ALSO the leadership role that women already play at the national and regional levels in the Asia region, ACKNOWLEDGING the active participation of women in the Asia region in the harmonized management of safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean seas, ACKNOWLEDGING ALSO the role of women in the Asia region in the context of implementing the objective and purpose of all the Millennium Development Goals, including MDG 3, with particular emphasis on MDG 1 eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; MDG 6 combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases; MDG 7 ensure environmental sustainability; and MDG 8 develop a global partnership for development and poverty, FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGING the contribution made by women in the Asia region at the management level of the maritime sectors, industry and government, in strengthening the maritime capacities in the subregion, CONSIDERING the importance of enhancing channels of communication and information technology for better co-operation at the regional level, Hereby resolve as follows: 1. REQUEST the International Maritime Organization to actively support the Women in Maritime Association Asia (WIMA-Asia) launched in Manila, Philippines on the 29 th day of January 2010;
Annex 1, page 2 2. REQUEST ALSO that the International Maritime Organization facilitate the advancement of women in the maritime sector of the Asia region through partnerships with regional organizations; 3. INVITE Member States to encourage the equal participation of women at all levels of maritime training and research, and to strengthen the national mechanisms for the employment of women in accordance with the stated objectives of the MDGs and the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); 4. URGE Member States to develop integrated programmes and policies to promote awareness of maritime careers and opportunities for women in the maritime and port industries; and 5. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE OBJECTIVE OF THE YEAR OF THE SEAFARER, FURTHER URGE the maritime industry to make sufficient provision to increase opportunities for sea-time and on-the-job training for female seafarers, so that women may acquire the appropriate level of practical experience required to enhance professional maritime skills. ***
Annex 2, page 1 ANNEX 2 ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN THE MARITIME SECTOR IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA (WOMESA) WOMESA RESOLUTION 2(2010) THE FACILITATION OF SEA TRAINING FOR WOMEN CADETS TO STRENGTHEN THE MARITIME SECTOR FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA THE DELEGATES, RECALLING the aims and objectives of the International Maritime Organization's Programme for the Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector, RECOGNIZING the International Maritime Organization's efforts to promote the participation and advancement of women in all areas of the wider maritime sector, RECOGNIZING ALSO the theme "2010: Year of the Seafarer", TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the objectives of the third Millennium Development Goal (MDG) "Promoting gender equality and empowering women", PURSUANT to resolution TC.3 (45), adopted by the Technical Co-operation Committee in June 1998 on the "Promotion of the participation of women in the maritime industry", CONSIDERING the objectives of the Association for Women in the Maritime Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa (WOMESA) and its Mission Statement, which are to advocate gender equity, improve women's access to maritime training and technology and promote their advancement to key decision making levels in the maritime sector in Eastern and Southern Africa, ACKNOWLEDGING the active participation of women in the Africa region in the harmonized management of safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean seas, ACKNOWLEDGING ALSO the role of women in the Africa region in the context of implementing the objective and purpose of all the Millennium Development Goals, including MDG 3, with particular emphasis on MDG 1 eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; MDG 6 combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; MDG 7 ensure environmental sustainability; and MDG 8 develop a global partnership for development and poverty, Hereby resolves as follows: 1. REQUESTS the International Maritime Organization to actively support the strengthening of WOMESA, launched in Mombasa, Kenya, in December 2007; 2. REQUESTS ALSO that the International Maritime Organization facilitate the advancement of women in the maritime sector of the Eastern and Southern subregion through partnership arrangements;
Annex 2, page 2 3. INVITES Member States in Eastern and Southern Africa to encourage the equal participation of women at all levels of maritime training and research, and to strengthen the national mechanisms for the employment of women in accordance with the stated objectives of the MDGs and the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); 4. INVITES ALSO Member States, taking into account the African Maritime Transport Charter's commitment to gender equality, to allocate 40% of their training budgets towards the skills development of maritime women in the region. Further, to develop integrated programmes and policies to promote awareness of maritime careers and opportunities for women in the maritime and port industries; 5. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE OBJECTIVE OF THE YEAR OF THE SEAFARER, URGES the maritime industry to make sufficient provision to increase opportunities for sea-time and on-the-job training for female seafarers, so that women may acquire the appropriate level of practical experience required to enhance professional maritime skills; and 6. FURTHER URGES the maritime industry and all relevant UN agencies to strengthen legislative and operational frameworks to ensure the safety and security of women working at sea.