RED MAMLa PARTICIPATES IN THE VII LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN MEETING OF PORT LOGISTIC COMMUNITIES

The Meeting was held in Santiago (Chile) and was organised by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, with the objective of visualising the alternatives of the maritime industry towards the evolution of a sustainable management in this sector.

During the days of this event, 9 working sessions were held to discuss various current issues that impact the maritime port sector in the region, such as: 

• Network of Digital and Collaborative Ports; 
• Port Environmental Sustainability; 
• Resilience to climate change impacts and energy efficiency; 
• Port - City - Territory Relationship; 
• Intermodality, logistics corridors and integration; 
• Port digital transformation, 
• The role of women in the maritime-port industry, and 
• Challenges of maritime and inland waterway transport.

Red MAMLa was present at this event through Elvia Bustavino, President of our organisation who was invited as a delegate to participate in the Panel: "Role of women in the maritime-port industry and gender equity". Also present on this panel were: Tamara Lowe - James, President of WIMAC, Pilar Larrain, Manager of Comunidad Logística de San Antonio (COLSA), Carla Monrabal, President of Consorcio de Gestión del Puerto de Dock Sud, Ana Laura López Bautista, General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine Mexico and Doris Silva, Winlog-Aplog, Chile.

The main purpose of the session was to communicate on the progress on gender issues and the measures that have been adopted by the various agents and partners of the industry at regional level. Likewise, to share new initiatives and contributions to promote the participation of women within the maritime, port, commercial and logistics sector.

During her intervention, Elvia Bustavino, from her position as Deputy Administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority, affirmed that she is proud to represent a country that is currently considered as category A, where a total of 45 ports are managed, between state and concessioned, and that, within this process of progress, the presence of women has been vital, contributing in administrative, operational, and also managerial areas. She emphasised that in Panama's Strategic Plan, an important factor is the integration of women and gender equity, stressing that "...we women are not here to fulfil a quota, but because of our high professionalism and capacity to move forward".

On the other hand, our Member State of Mexico was represented by Ana Laura López Bautista, General Coordinator of Ports and Merchant Marine, who commented on the role that national shipping companies have played in favour of gender equity by increasing spaces and giving more opportunities for professional women in the field to join their ranks. 

She also pointed out that even though progress has been made on these issues, Mexico as a country still has many challenges to overcome, considering that "... of the group of women graduating from Mexico's Nautical Schools, less than 40% are active in the maritime port sector". She ended her speech by emphasising that efforts continue to be made to create more and more programmes to promote and facilitate the equal participation of women in the maritime industry.

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