VENEZUELA, BOW AHEAD WITH OF THE LADIES OF THE SEA

By: Draiza Medina Alvarez. Teniente de Navío de la Armada Bolivariana de Venezuela. Representante Alterna de Venezuela ante Red MAMLa

The sea, a magical meeting point where women and men who have been forged for its shelter and protection nourish their naval identity, in favor of the security and defense of the Nation's aquatic spaces. When embarking on a warship, weighing anchor and going to sea, every crew member tans his skin with saltpeter, being an active part in each maneuver role that is executed on board, thus exalting his essence as a sailor.

In this sense, the Latin America Women's Maritime Association - Red MAMLa, aims to recognize, train and empower women in the maritime sector in the Latin American. Currently the Venezuelan representation before the Network has the honor of honoring the actions of the ladies divers.

It's sublime trying to describe marine and underwater life, we evolved from it, and we cannot wait thousands of years to return. Venezuela is an open door Or do you prefer to call it an open port, temptingly inevitable? In short, after forty-nine years of history without the presence of women on board of the submarines, one woman contributes to the breaking of the paradigm, when in 2009, upon graduating from the Venezuelan Naval School at the age of twenty, the highest authority in the country, naval and military chiefs of the moment allow her to start her journey at the Submarine School, where she is trained under a demanding qualification process to be part of a crew in a Submarine. 

This is how women are incorporated for the first time in this specialty, being Junior Lieutenant Draiza Medina qualified in 2013 as the first female crew member of a Venezuelan Submarine, the AB "SÁBALO" (S-31); This leaves the path open for future generations of women who aspire to be Submariners. Subsequently, the Submarine Squadron of the Bolivarian Navy continues promoting the incorporation of more female professionals in all the categories: Command Officers, Technical Officers and Sergeants; who also go on with the rigorous training process; being qualified in 2017. The aforementioned professionals were: Junior Lieutenant Belkis Jaimes, Junior Lieutenant Gleinis Blanco, Junior Lieutenant Anais Coriano, Junior Lieutenant Génesis González and Seargent Rannelys González, currently in the Venezuelan Submarine School there are six female professionals being trained as future crew members of the submarine units.

This challenging experience has allowed the female submariners to forge their "Soul in Steel", translating this into an opportunity to contribute to the active participation of women in decision-making and in the strategic development of the aquatic sector.

In this way, for more than a decade until today, in Venezuela there is a process of inclusion of women in the maritime sector. Under the support of the Aquatic Authority of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Bolivarian Navy, the Merchant Navy and other authorities linked to the sector, there are already women who stand out for occupying roles such as: Captains of Height, Captain of Personnel Aquatic Transport, Commanders of Hydrographic Boats, Commanders of Coastal Patrol Boats and other professionals who have broken schemes in the area of Hydrography, Oceanography and Cartography.

¡Bravo Zulu! to all the appreciated Ladies of the Sea, wishing that the naval and maritime passion and identity continue. 

“Once a Submariner, Always a Submariner”. ¡The sea unites us!

 

#MujerMaritima #WomenInMaritime #ODS5 #CronicasMaritimas #ProudlyMAMLa #OrgullosamenteMAMLa