President of the Ghana Chapter of Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA-Ghana), Jemilat Jawula Mahamah, has encouraged women in the maritime sector to take advantage of the maritime SHEeo leadership programme.
The programme, introduced by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), according to her, aims to empower them to become maritime leaders in the future.
Speaking in an interview with the B&FT on the sidelines of a family day out event put together by the association in Accra, Jemilat Jawulah Mahamah explained that the programme will equip women with leadership skills as part of measures to improve on their participation in the industry.
“As women aspiring to go up in your career, let’s learn to take advantage of the leadership programme and get to know what we need to know about being a leader and how to handle it,” Madam Jawula Mahamah said.
She urged them to remain focused, stay strong and work hard. “Wherever you find yourself, getting to the top is the ultimate; that’s what we all want, so you have to stay focused and work hard.”
Jemilat Jawula Mahamah, who is the first black woman elected as Secretary of WISTA International, further outlined plans to clear the path for women to attain leadership positions of the maritime industry.
Some include training programmes with the Institute for Chartered Ship Brokers, training on presentation skills and how to speak in public, and awareness creation about the maritime sector in schools, among others.
About the family day out
The family day out event was meant for networking, sharing ideas and knowledge, and for members to get to know one another better.
The event brought together members and their children, as well as retired workers of the sector.
