IMO GENDER EQUALITY AWARD GOES TO DESPINA PANAYIOTOU THEODOSIOU

Ms. Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou (Cyprus), former President of the Women's International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA International), has been selected as the recipient of the first-ever IMO Gender Equality Award.   

The IMO Council, at its 130th session (C 130, 21-24 November), endorsed the decision of the Assessment Panel, which decided to recommend Ms. Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou as the recipient of the first IMO Gender Equality Award, due to the pivotal and leading role she played in advancing gender equality and empowering women throughout her tenure as President of WISTA International. Ms. Panayiotou Theodosiou was nominated by Cyprus. 

Ms. Panayiotou Theodosiou's actions brought significant attention to the Association's mission and shed light on the challenges faced by women in the maritime industry, raising awareness among industry stakeholders, as well as international policy and decision makers, while also amplifying the voices of women and highlighting their important contributions to the maritime industry. 

Ms. Panayiotou Theodosiou was instrumental in gaining consultative status for WISTA International at IMO. The signing of a memorandum of understanding between both Organizations translated into multiple successful initiatives, such as the Women in Maritime Survey 2021, aimed at examining the representation and distributions of women working in the maritime sector; and the Maritime Speakers Bureau, a platform of female experts in a variety of maritime fields which seeks to amplify the voices of women in the maritime industry by ensuring that conferences and events feature inclusive panels with a range of perspectives. 

LETTERS OF COMMENDATION 
The Council decided to award Letters of Commendation to the following nominees, in order to highlight those with dedication and devotion to the empowerment of women through best practices and initiatives in a variety of maritime sectors and across regions of the globe: 

• Mr. Mikael Skov of Denmark, due to his initiatives as CEO of Hafnia, including a working group onshore to further diversity ambitions among seafaring staff members; the Women In Maritime Lab, a cross industry initiative aimed at identifying and developing innovative ideas that worked to address diversity challenges in maritime; and the provision of sponsorships to grow its pool of female ratings in India.
   
• Ms. Sanjam Sahi Gupta of India, for her contributions to the founding of WISTA national chapters in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Georgia and Malaysia; her roles in Diversity Committees within WISTA International and International Chamber of Shipping (ICS); and her work at the helm of Maritime SheEO, which works with organizations to create a level playing field for women to raise to leadership positions.
   
• Commodore Amit Srivastava of India, for his pivotal role in converting the Indian Navy into a gender-neutral service where women are empowered and it is ensured that they can realize their true potential without any bias or limitations. Some initiatives were ensuring facilities accommodating women in larger numbers, the approval for the recruitment of women to join the Indian Navy as sailors, and the opening of officer training institutions to women.
   
• Ms. Eunjung Heo of the Republic of Korea, for the role she played in the development of safety regulations for LPG-fueled ships, serving as a role model for many female seafarers; and for her mentoring of numerous aspiring female juniors in their exploration of career paths within the engineering field, as well as empowering the next generation of female maritime professionals.
   
• Ms. Camille Dyan A. Simbulan of the Philippines, for her work as the Head of Communications and Special Projects for Women and Youth of the Associated Marine Officers' and Seamen's Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), where she pushed for the inclusion of gender equality in the union's agenda, emphasizing the need to create a platform for women seafarers. She also spearheaded projects such as Gender Sensitivity Training (GST) for women, men and LGBTQIA+ union members, and empowerment workshops for women seafarers. 

Source: https://www.imo.org/

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