Jamaica marks IMO milestone with focus on women in maritime
KINGSTON, Jamaica —Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications Kedesha Rochester, has underscored Jamaica’s commitment to building a maritime sector that fully embraces its talent and potential, including now under-represented women.
Pointing out that women represent just over one per cent of the global seafarer workforce, Rochester said Jamaica will fully participate in activities to recognise the contribution of women in the sector on May 18.
“The day is set to celebrate women in the industry while highlighting the challenges faced in a male-dominated industry. It is intended to promote the recruitment, retention, and sustained employment of women in the maritime sector, raise the profile of women in maritime, strengthen International Maritime Organization’s [IMO] commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality) and support work to address the current gender imbalance in maritime,” Rochester told the Jamaica Observer following a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s membership in the IMO on Tuesday.
Rochester noted that women now comprise 23 per cent of students in the Caribbean Maritime University’s (CMU) seafarers programme.
“In terms of broader impact, the International Day for Women in Maritime (IDWM) serves as a platform to advance gender equality, encourage male allyship, and foster a diverse and sustainable maritime industry. It emphasises that women’s contributions are vital not only onboard ships but also in offices, policymaking, and leadership positions,” added Rochester.
In the meantime, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith welcomed the initiative as she declared that Jamaica is particularly proud of its alignment with the IMO’s Women in Maritime programme.
“Our maritime sector finds women in senior leadership positions across administration, regulation, education, and administration. I want to take this opportunity to salute the women in maritime sector. We thank them for their sterling and ongoing contribution to the development of the industry,” said Johnson Smith.
The 2026 observance of IDWM will be held under the them ‘From Policy to Practice: Advancing Gender Equality for Maritime Excellence’.
— Billeane Williams
