THE International Day for Women in Maritime on May 18 celebrated the role of women in an industry that has historically been male-dominated.
The pursuit of gender equality tops global agendas, as discriminatory behaviour affects all. Women make up less than 10 per cent of the workforce in all maritime industry subsectors.
The maiden theme of the celebration, "Training-Visibility-Recognition: Supporting a barrier-free working environment", highlights the key challenges facing women in the maritime profession.
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) secretary-general Kitack Lim, in his keynote message, emphasised the role of women in the transition to a decarbonised, digitalised and more sustainable future.
As a member state of the IMO, a United Nations agency, Malaysia is committed to empowering women to address the gender imbalance in the maritime industry.
To mark the occasion, Malaysia, via the Women in Maritime Association Malaysia, hosted a seminar on Strengthening Women's Network in the Maritime Community in collaboration with the Transport Ministry and Women's International Shipping & Trading Association.
In his message at the launch of the event, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong remarked that it was time Malaysian women embraced the diverse and rewarding career opportunities in the maritime sector.
Women in the industry should break the glass ceiling with grace and work together to change the social and cultural biases against them.
Working in the maritime industry is a great way to build a long-term career as it's always evolving, vibrant and demanding.
Women have risen to positions of maritime leadership, but there is still a long way to go to equal opportunity for all.
Theoretically, education and training have a long-term influence on capacity-building in the industry. We must continue to promote gender equality in the sector by ensuring women have access to education and training at all levels.
The maritime industry is vast, welcoming all profiles and skills. A viable industry requires access to a diverse range of talent, so more women shoud be encouraged to pursue maritime careers.
There has been a rise in the number of women graduating from maritime programmes in universities and other educational and training institutions.
The government should always be committed to collaborating with maritime stakeholders and industry players, and providing equal rights and opportunities for women in order to ensure the ecosystem's sustainability.
Enhancing the network is critical for the transformation of today's graduates. They must be given up-to-date professional and practical education and skills.
All these initiatives need to be integrated into the industry-academic network. It shows the importance of corporate participation in the improvement of the education system.
Gender equality must become a reality today, not tomorrow. Malaysia has indirectly strengthened its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) by taking a strategic approach to enhancing the contribution of women as key maritime actors.
I desire to motivate young girls and women to pursue careers in the maritime industry and progress to higher positions.
Working as a woman in the maritime industry entails putting several "female unique characteristics" into reality every day, such as adaptability and a commitment orientation.
Shoulder the responsibility and know that you are the creator of your own destiny.
The writer is a senior lecturer at the Maritime Studies Faculty, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, and a Women's International Shipping and Trading Association Malaysia committee member
