Guyana observes World Maritime Day
─ govt assures continued steps to empower Guyanese women in the sector
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, September 26, 2019
The government has reiterated its intention to continue to support the positive growth and empowerment of women in Guyana, regardless of the sector in which they function.
Thursday, as Guyana joined the rest of the world in observing World Maritime Day 2019, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Hon. David Patterson, at an event to launch the Women in Maritime Association of the Caribbean, Guyana Chapter, stated that with only 2% of seafarers and one third of shore-based operators being female, much more needs to be done to ensure equal participation in the field.
“It is obvious that there are challenges facing women in the sector such as institutional barriers and cultural stigma, to this end and over time the government has and will continue to take positive steps to empower women in this particular sector,” Minister Patterson noted.
He said the government was also proud of the Guyanese women who have led in the field thus far, some of whom included; Captain Vanessa Merchant, the first Guyanese woman to obtain a Masters in navigation and Claudette Rogers, the first female Director of Maritime Administration.
“We have over the years through the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and Transport and Harbour enabled several of our very deserving women to further their education in various sectors of maritime administration,” he said.
World Maritime Day 2019 is being observed under the theme “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community”.