THE Fiji Women in Maritime Association will look to addressing the concerns and general welfare of women working in the maritime field, says the association president Jane Koi. Ms Koi made the comments after the Association announced its elected executive members early this month.
“The association was established in July 2016 and officially launched in September 2016. The idea behind it is to set a standard for women in maritime industry to become professionals in our roles, be consistent with our performance and contribute positively to assisting the profile of our maritime industry.”
Ms Koi comes into her new role replacing her predecessor Patricia Ho. The executives hope to create a network to inspire, engage, educate and empower women in the maritime sector and enable them to contribute to the development of industry in the region.
“We want to increase the involvement of women in the maritime industry by creating a platform and forum for the effective articulation and promotion of the contributions of women in the industry,” said Ms Koi.
“Some of our female seafarers are challenged with shared accommodation onboard vessels, deserving pay rates, educational and/or international exposure for seafaring time opportunities. We hope to reduce these gaps by working closely with our members to identify and assist with resources and avenues available to us.”
More solid work will be committed in growing its membership and using this platform to steer the association in achieving its key objectives. The current executives are a dynamic group of women from different professional backgrounds. Our gratitude also to our employers: Shipping Services (Fiji) Ltd, Blue Lagoon Cruises, Oceania Logistics (Fiji) Ltd, Total Logistics Solutions, Fiji Ports Corporation Ltd, South Seas Towage Ltd, Swire Shipping and Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji for their support and resources made available to us and making our work possible.”
