IWD: Maritime women sensitise secondary school girls on career path.

Segun Oladipupo |

In their efforts to achieve the much-touted gender equality between men and women in the Maritime industry, a group of women has taken their campaign and mentorship programs to secondary schools.

Thus is part of the activities marking the celebration of International Women’s Day, 2020.

Women in Maritime WiMAfrica are poised to promote collaboration, more participation of women in maritime activities at both national, regional and international levels.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “I am generation equality: realizing women’s right with campaign equal rights.

Hajia Bola Muse, President, WIMNigeria told journalists at a function that the association wants to ensure the advancement of gender equality in the Maritime industry as well as to bridge the gap of existing imbalance.

According to Her, the campaign is aimed at encouraging more women participation in maritime activities.

According to her, mentorship is key for the sustainability of gender equality adding that grooming of the girl child and youths must be encouraged because the shipping sector has not been effectively promoted in secondary schools in Nigeria.

As part of the yield of the association’s efforts, the membership of WIMNigeria has increased from 35 to 70 since its inception about two years ago.

She said, “The association has undertaken some empowerment programmes including the donation of fish processing and preservation equipment to women in Makoko fishing community in Lagos.

“We have also donated waste bins to National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to support in making our waters clean at all times.

Also speaking at the event, President, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup advised on the young girls present at the event be bold to take careers in the male-dominated shipping industry.

Haastrup who also doubles as the Vice Chairman, ENL Consortium quipped that girls should not rush into early marriage but that they should get quality education first and choose a career path before dabbling into marriage.

Haastrup who is also the President of Certified Institute of Shipping (CIS) called on President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint more women into his cabinet, adding that the huge turn out of the youths at the event showed a revolution in the industry.

On her part, Managing Director, Ocean Deep Nigeria Limited, Mrs Rollens Macfoy explained that the campaign was not a call to disrespect one’s husband or to destabilize a woman’s marriage but simply to sensitize women that they have the capacity to do what men can do.

She advised that the mentorship program will enable the girl child to be able to take a decision about her career in life.

Her words, “Today we are celebrating women day and to give hope to that weak woman, to give hope to the ones that have fear to grow in their careers.

“WIMA has given sponsorship to women, we have empowered women and we are trying to catch them young.

“We have also noticed that every school has what they call career day and we use that opportunity to introduce them to maritime activities,” she concluded