Accra: The Women International Shipping and Trading Association, Ghana Chapter (WISTA-Ghana), has urged for increased efforts to encourage more women to explore opportunities within the maritime sector.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mrs. Gertrude Adwoa Ohene-Asienim, President of WISTA-Ghana, highlighted the lack of shipping and maritime education in basic school curricula during her speech at a Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) media forum marking International Women's Day. She emphasized the need for stakeholders to advocate for awareness about the sector's potential opportunities. Ohene-Asienim noted that many individuals remain unaware of the sector's prospects due to insufficient exposure during their formative educational years.
Mrs. Ohene-Asienim shared her personal experience, explaining that many women in the maritime industry choose their careers after knowing someone in the field, as maritime careers are not widely advertised or discussed. She recounted her own unexpected journey into the shipping industry, which began only after completing university. She discovered the existence of a nautical college by chance and entered the shipping industry when a company sought bids for management training.
The WISTA-Ghana president pointed out the wide range of specializations within the maritime sector, such as ship management, naval architecture, and logistics coordination, which offer unique career paths. She also called for collaboration with maritime companies to support more women's training, highlighting the financial challenges faced by young people in the sector, as training fees are often required in foreign currencies like the dollar.
Mrs. Ohene-Asienim stressed the importance of scholarships and industry collaboration to alleviate the financial burden on aspiring maritime professionals, emphasizing that funding is crucial to unlocking opportunities for women in this field.
