An application by the Women's International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA International) for consultative status at the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) has been approved by the IMO Council.
"Consultative status gives us the opportunity to promote diversity, inclusion and women's empowerment, which are our main aims," said WISTA International President Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou.
"We can now formally contribute to the discussion for increasing capacity in our industry, a critical component of which is promoting women in the industry, both shoreside and shipboard. WISTA 's efforts support the overarching principles in IMO's Strategic Plan, especially the promotion of Gender Equality and the empowerment of women."
WISTA, which claims to have been a voice for female executives in the maritime industry since 1974, has more than 3,000 members worldwide representing 44 national WISTA Associations.
The organization participates in a number of global initiatives aimed at increasing diversity and inclusion in the shipping.
