Empowering Maritime Safety: Celebrating Women's Leadership and Innovation on IMO International Day for Women in Maritime

On May 18th, the International Maritime Organization 's International Day for Women in Maritime honours women's contributions to the industry. This day focuses on enhancing recruitment, retention, and employment for women, boosting their visibility, and affirming the IMO's dedication to gender equality under United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5. Member States and maritime sectors are encouraged to meaningfully promote and celebrate this significant day.

Under this year's theme "Safe Horizons: Women Shaping the Future of Maritime Safety", IMO is celebrating the Day with several events and actions. One of them being a symposium that will take place on 17th May 2024 in the IMO building in London. The symposium will see keynote speakers; panel sessions and the Presentation of the 2024 IMO Gender Equality Award.

Ma Angeles Lopez Castejón and Ana Gil Remezal , two of our very own naval architects from Peninsula’s Sustainability and Alternative Fuels team have been invited to take part in SGMF Women in Gas fuelled shipping's (WiGS) Women in Maritime Day event on the 17th of May. All participants will first discuss in a workshop how the increasing involvement of women in maritime safety is a promising trend that is reshaping the industry. As more women enter and excel in this field, their influence is expected to grow, leading to safer and more efficient maritime operations. The future of maritime safety, enriched by the contributions of women, looks not only more secure but also more inclusive.

The second part of this event is attending the abovementioned symposium. The objective is to bring together prominent figures in the maritime industry to discuss and promote the crucial role of women in enhancing maritime safety. It features an array of discussions, a pilot project presentation, and the honouring of leadership and innovation through the 2024 IMO Gender Equality Award.

Meet Maria Angeles and Ana:

Maria Angeles is a skilled Naval Architect with a strong background in shipbuilding and a career spanning various roles. Initially, she worked for 12 years in a Seville shipyard, designing overseeing vessel construction. She then founded a training company in Southern Spain, specialising in technical and soft skills for the naval industry, focusing on maintenance, safety, and personal development. With formal education and practical experience in coaching, she adeptly delivered much of the training herself. Maria Angeles later moved to Madrid to work with a leading engineering firm, where she managed alternative fuels innovated projects focused on decarbonisation and improvement of the energy efficiency. Additionally, she provided coaching in public speaking, teamwork, motivation, and leadership to project managers within the firm. Now, as the Decarbonisation Manager at Peninsula, Maria applies her naval engineering expertise and commitment to sustainability to lead initiatives for environmentally cleaner solutions in the maritime industry.

Ana, a dynamic young Naval Architect, perfected her skills at Bureau Veritas in Madrid while completing her Master’s degree. At Bureau Veritas, she actively participated in inspection, and certification services, gaining substantial experience in risk analysis, quality control, asset management, and sustainability. After a year, Ana transitioned to Peninsula, joining the newly established Alternative Fuels team, which comprised three members, including herself. She was tasked with overseeing the construction of the Levante LNG bunker supply vessel, coordinating with the shipyard in South Korea and the shipyard management agency. She effectively managed the technical aspects of the vessel's construction until its delivery last year. Following this project, Ana’s role is now Technical and Newbuilding Vessel Supervisor, where she, along with her growing team, manages the technical details of the Levante LNG’S operation, ensuring it meets all technical specifications and industry standards.

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