{"id":21399,"date":"2025-03-17T23:33:51","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T22:33:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/?p=21399"},"modified":"2026-06-24T23:53:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T22:53:49","slug":"strengthening-the-presence-of-women-in-the-maritime-industry-overview-of-initiatives-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/strengthening-the-presence-of-women-in-the-maritime-industry-overview-of-initiatives-in-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Strengthening the Presence of Women in the Maritime Industry: Overview of Initiatives in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__42753.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21403\" src=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__42753.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__42753.png 1024w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__42753-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__42753-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__42753-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Africa, as in many regions worldwide, women&#8217;s presence in the maritime sector remains limited.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to data from a survey conducted in 2021 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Women&#8217;s International Shipping &amp; Trading Association (WISTA International) on women in the maritime sector, women represent only 29% of the global workforce in the industry overall and 20% of the workforce in national maritime authorities within IMO member states.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Female seafarers constitute only 2% of the crew workforce, primarily found in the cruise sector, while in ship-owning companies, they make up 34% of the workforce. Additionally, the report reveals that, based on data collected from IMO member states, national maritime authorities have significantly fewer women in search and rescue teams (only 10%) compared to women diplomats (33%) and training personnel (30%).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">To strengthen women&#8217;s participation in the maritime industry, several initiatives have been implemented by institutions, organizations, and associations.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>IMO\u2019s Women in Maritime Program <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The IMO, for example, launched a gender equality program in 1988 known as the <strong>Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector<\/strong> (IWMS) program, now called the &#8220;<strong>Women in Maritime Program<\/strong>.&#8221; This program includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Granting scholarships specifically for women, enabling them to access high-level technical training in the maritime sector of developing countries;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Creating an environment where women are identified and selected for career development opportunities in maritime administrations, ports, and maritime training institutions; and<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Supporting the establishment of professional associations of women in the maritime sector, especially in developing countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Women&#8217;s Maritime Associations in Africa<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__68512.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21408\" src=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__68512.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1408\" height=\"704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__68512.png 1408w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__68512-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__68512-1024x512.png 1024w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/freepik__the-style-is-candid-image-photography-with-natural__68512-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the aegis of the IMO, four (4) Women in Maritime Associations (WIMAs) have been established in Africa. These include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/logo.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-21409 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/logo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"294\" height=\"118\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/logo.jpg 827w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/logo-300x120.jpg 300w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/logo-768x308.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 294px) 100vw, 294px\" \/><\/a>Women in Maritime of West and Central Africa <\/strong>(<strong>WIMOWCA)<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wimowca.org\/index.html\">https:\/\/www.wimowca.org\/index.html<\/a>) created in July 2021 in Ghana as part of the IMO&#8217;s strategy to enhance women&#8217;s contributions as key stakeholders in the maritime sector.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/images.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-21402 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/images.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"286\" height=\"68\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/images.png 400w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/images-300x71.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 286px) 100vw, 286px\" \/><\/a>Arab Women in Maritime<\/strong> <strong>Association<\/strong> (<strong>AWIMA<\/strong>) founded on October 19, 2017, in Egypt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/480761662_1133547435134198_8677835344793456392_n.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-21401 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/480761662_1133547435134198_8677835344793456392_n.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"201\" height=\"136\" \/><\/a>Network of Professional Women in the Maritime and Port Sectors for West and Central Africa<\/strong> (<strong>NPWMP-WCA<\/strong>), established in February 2007 under the auspices of the Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) and the IMO, focusing primarily on the port sector in West and Central Africa.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/womesa-logo.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21404 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/womesa-logo.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"355\" height=\"82\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/womesa-logo.png 650w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/womesa-logo-300x69.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 355px) 100vw, 355px\" \/><\/a>Women in the Maritime Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa<\/strong> (<strong>WOMESA<\/strong>), (<a href=\"https:\/\/womesa.org\/\">https:\/\/womesa.org\/<\/a>) launched in December 2007 in Mombasa, Kenya, as part of the IMO\u2019s IWMS program.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WIMAFRICA-LOGO.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-21405 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WIMAFRICA-LOGO.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"256\" height=\"181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WIMAFRICA-LOGO.png 2000w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WIMAFRICA-LOGO-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WIMAFRICA-LOGO-1024x724.png 1024w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WIMAFRICA-LOGO-768x543.png 768w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WIMAFRICA-LOGO-1536x1086.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/a>In addition to those created under the IMO&#8217;s auspices, the <strong>African Women in Maritime\u00a0<\/strong>(<strong>WIMAFRICA<\/strong>) (<a href=\"https:\/\/wimafrica.net\/\">https:\/\/wimafrica.net\/<\/a>) was founded in 2015 in Addis Ababa by Her Excellency <strong>Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma<\/strong>, then Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This nonprofit organization aims to promote gender equality, empower women, and develop entrepreneurship for African women in the maritime sector. It is composed of professional women, leaders, and maritime entrepreneurs from over twenty-two (22) African countries, including Togo, Angola, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Niger, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WISTA-LOGO.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-21406 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WISTA-LOGO.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"249\" height=\"176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WISTA-LOGO.png 2000w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WISTA-LOGO-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WISTA-LOGO-1024x724.png 1024w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WISTA-LOGO-768x543.png 768w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WISTA-LOGO-1536x1086.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 249px) 100vw, 249px\" \/><\/a>The <strong>Women&#8217;s International Shipping and Trading Association<\/strong> (<strong>WISTA International<\/strong>) (<a href=\"https:\/\/wistainternational.com\/\">https:\/\/wistainternational.com\/<\/a>)\u00a0an international networking organization founded in 1974 to attract and support women in management positions in the maritime, commercial, and logistics sectors, has also been active in Africa.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>In 1994, it established the first National WISTA Association (NWA) on the continent in Nigeria<\/strong>, known as <strong>WISTA Nigeria<\/strong>. Today, WISTA International comprises 62 NWAs, six of which are based in Africa (Angola, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Cameroon).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Timeline of the Establishment of Women&#8217;s Maritime Associations in Africa <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21400\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21400\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Timeline-of-the-Establishment-of-Womens-Maritime-Associations-in-Africa-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21400 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Timeline-of-the-Establishment-of-Womens-Maritime-Associations-in-Africa-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Timeline-of-the-Establishment-of-Womens-Maritime-Associations-in-Africa-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Timeline-of-the-Establishment-of-Womens-Maritime-Associations-in-Africa-300x46.jpg 300w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Timeline-of-the-Establishment-of-Womens-Maritime-Associations-in-Africa-1024x158.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Timeline-of-the-Establishment-of-Womens-Maritime-Associations-in-Africa-768x119.jpg 768w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Timeline-of-the-Establishment-of-Womens-Maritime-Associations-in-Africa-1536x238.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Timeline-of-the-Establishment-of-Womens-Maritime-Associations-in-Africa-2048x317.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21400\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Blue Women Africa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">All these associations share a common goal: promoting gender equality and empowering African women in the maritime industry in line with:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>SDG 5<\/strong>: \u201cAchieve gender equality and empower all women and girls,\u201d one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the United Nations&#8217; 2030 Agenda;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Goal 17 of Aspiration 6<\/strong>: \u201cFull gender equality in all spheres of life\u201d of the African Union Commission\u2019s Agenda 2063, which envisions \u201cAn Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of its people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Training <\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Through its Women in Maritime Program, the IMO grants scholarships for training specifically designed for women at institutions like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>World Maritime University<\/strong> (<strong>WMU<\/strong>) in Malm\u00f6, Sweden;<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>IMO International Maritime Law Institute<\/strong> (<strong>IMLI<\/strong>) in Valletta, Malta.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additionally, among the scholarships specifically for women are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Courses offered in partnership with WMU to enhance women&#8217;s skills and empower them in the maritime sector;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Courses offered in partnership with the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), IALA World-Wide Academy in France. <em>For more information about scholarships specifically for women, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/OurWork\/TechnicalCooperation\/Pages\/WomenInMaritime.aspx\">click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beyond the IMO&#8217;s efforts, African women&#8217;s maritime associations also provide scholarships to their members, sometimes in partnership with other institutions. For example, the <strong>Enhanced Maritime Action in the Gulf of Guinea<\/strong> (<strong>EnMAR)<\/strong> <strong>project<\/strong>, a partner of NPWMP-WCA, funded a master&#8217;s degree in maritime business law and security for a member of this network.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Mentoring <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentoring plays a crucial role in supporting the personal and professional development of women in Africa\u2019s maritime sector by offering learning opportunities, networking, guidance, and personalized support. Various organizations are committed to mentoring women, including <strong>Maritime EmpowerHer<\/strong>, based in South Africa, which organizes free mentoring sessions for young women in the South African maritime sector.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Blue Women Africa: Amplifying Women&#8217;s Voices <\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/photo_5924546492071265548_y.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13661 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/photo_5924546492071265548_y.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"251\" height=\"131\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/photo_5924546492071265548_y.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/photo_5924546492071265548_y-300x156.jpg 300w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/photo_5924546492071265548_y-1024x534.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/photo_5924546492071265548_y-768x400.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 251px) 100vw, 251px\" \/><\/a>Launched in May 2024, Blue Women Africa is an initiative created to amplify the voices of women&#8217;s projects and women&#8217;s associations in the blue economy sector.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Its goal is to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Make actions more visible through its website <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluewomenafrica.com\/\">www.bluewomenafrica.com<\/a>, magazine, and social networks;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Support institutions and associations in their efforts to empower African women in the blue economy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It also aims to be a platform for all women working or aspiring to work in the sector, providing key information to better understand the industry and make informed decisions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since the IMO&#8217;s initiative in 1988, several associations and projects have been launched to promote gender equality and empower African women in the maritime sector. Despite these efforts, the representation of women in this sector shows the significant work that remains to achieve their empowerment. Increasing awareness campaigns to attract more women to the sector, expanding training opportunities to strengthen their skills, and intensifying mentoring programs are essential to seeing more women in decision-making positions in the industry.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/PAS-102-e1704910186231-252x300-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-12778 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/PAS-102-e1704910186231-252x300-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"148\" height=\"176\" \/><\/a>By Pascaline Odoubourou,<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Specialist in Gender Integration and <\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Promotion in the Blue Economy,<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Co-founder of Blue Women Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>References :<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/OurWork\/TechnicalCooperation\/Pages\/IMOFellowships.aspx\">https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/OurWork\/TechnicalCooperation\/Pages\/IMOFellowships.aspx\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/OurWork\/TechnicalCooperation\/Pages\/WomenInMaritime.aspx\">https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/OurWork\/TechnicalCooperation\/Pages\/WomenInMaritime.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/OurWork\/TechnicalCooperation\/Pages\/Women-in-Maritime-Training.aspx\">https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/OurWork\/TechnicalCooperation\/Pages\/Women-in-Maritime-Training.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Africa, as in many regions worldwide, women&#8217;s presence in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21403,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,1795,1931],"tags":[1493,2962,31,32,1485,1297,1388,45,1227,1512],"class_list":["post-21399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-experts-words","category-women-in-maritime","tag-africa-en","tag-experts-words","tag-maritimafrica","tag-maritime","tag-maritime-in-africa","tag-maritime-industry-en","tag-news","tag-shipping-en","tag-women","tag-women-in-maritime-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ 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