Accra: The Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA), an association of professional women in the maritime sector, has marked its 15th anniversary in Ghana. The Association in Ghana seeks to promote women and acknowledge their contributions, attract and support women at the management level in the maritime, trading, and logistics sectors.

According to Ghana News Agency, the vision of WISTA Ghana is to foster diversity in the maritime, trading, and logistics sectors, empowering women to lead through their unique perspective and competencies, with the conviction that gender diversity is key in providing a sustainable future for the shipping industry internationally.

Ms. Gertrude Ohene-Asienim, President of WISTA Ghana, speaking at a courtesy call on Dr. Kamal-Deen Ali, the Director General of Ghana Maritime Authority, said the focus of this year’s celebration was to promote all women and celebrate their contributions to the sector. She explained it would encourage and attract more women to actively participate in the sector to make it flourish.

The meeting aimed at strengthening the collaboration between GMA and WISTA Ghana, building on the Authority’s longstanding support for WISTA’s initiatives. Discussions focused on key areas, including promoting women’s participation in seafaring, advocating safer and cleaner oceans, and empowering women-led businesses in the maritime sector.

Ms. Ohene-Asienim mentioned that WISTA Ghana would collaborate yearly with GMA to promote activities that put women in the limelight, especially in areas where it had been lacking. ‘We are looking at collaborating on celebrating the International Day for the Seafarer, where we want to see the promotion of women deliberately taking up spaces in the maritime sector, especially training at the Regional Maritime University to go on board vessels’, she said.

She said WISTA Ghana would commence an initiative to yearly award best female students in nautical science and marine engineering to acknowledge their accomplishments. ‘So we want to promote them, we want to encourage them, we want to profile people who have been there before to help these women together’, she said.

Ms. Ohene-Asienim has called on stakeholders to support the promotion of women in the maritime space. Mr. Kamal Deen Ali, Director General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), assured that the Authority would provide support and encouragement to WISTA Ghana. ‘We will provide all the encouragement and support to WISTA’, he said.

WISTA is an all-female organization in the maritime sector that fights for inclusivity and equity in the sector. The organization has over 6,000 members worldwide in 63 countries funded by the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), and others.