THE Women in Maritime Association (WIMA) Fiji celebrated and recognised the vital contributions of women in the maritime industry during International Women in Maritime Week this week at the Tanoa Plaza in Suva.
The gathering brought together professionals from across the sector to highlight achievements, share experiences, network and advocate for greater inclusion and support for women in maritime careers.
WIMA Fiji president Jane Koi said the importance of networking events was to promote visibility and encourage networking amongst women in the field.
“We’re delighted in the positive turnout, and hope to maintain this momentum,” Ms Koi said.
“We celebrate these women’s achievements and the beauty of having this kind of networking session is to hone in on capacity building and creating awareness of all the careers that we have in the maritime industry in Fiji.”
Speaking about the ongoing challenges faced by women in the industry, she said there was a lack of data collection, funding, and opportunities for women to participate in decision-making.
“We want to have live updates or possibly some sort of census to see where the women are placed in the industry right now, there are so many women but it’s good to know what sort of numbers we’re dealing with,” she added.
“We also need funding for us to roll out the programs that we want to undertake, and this has been a challenge for us so far.
“And lastly, we want to have opportunities to sit at the table with people that make decisions for what’s to happen in the industry.
“If these opportunities open up for us, we’d like to be involved.”
