Representatives from 12 Pacific countries convened in Rarotonga, Cook Islands (8-12 February) to bolster regional action to support women's leadership in the maritime sector, amid emerging trends in decarbonization and digitalization.

The Regional Workshop on Gender Responsive Governance and the Twin Transition aimed to strengthen the governance, institutional resilience and strategic positioning of the Pacific Women in Maritime Association (PacWIMA) and its national chapters.

PacWIMA is one of eight regional Women in Maritime Associations (WIMAs) established across the globe as professional networks to improve gender balance in the shipping industry. They play a critical role in delivering the objectives of IMO's Women in Maritime Programme.

Addressing maritime gender gaps

Currently, women remain underrepresented in the Pacific maritime sector, particularly in technical, operational and decision-making roles.

"At the moment, the majority of the region do not have a maritime gender quality policy, so the objective for the Pacific Women in Maritime Association is to have an understanding of how individual countries should be able to tap into the regional policy," said PacWIMA Chairperson Meliame Tualau.

Advancing gender equality will strengthen sector performance, expand the skills base, and support more resilient, inclusive maritime development.

Workshop participants explored governance models, member engagement, advocacy strategies, and ways to align national and regional priorities with global frameworks, including the Global Strategy for the IMO Women in Maritime Associations. 

Women leading the green and digital transitions

Discussions highlighted the role of WIMAs in shaping maritime policy and sector planning, especially as shipping shifts to low-carbon and digital solutions. Participants called for women's active leadership in driving an inclusive transition in their respective countries.

"The goal of IMO is to ensure that women can participate fully in the maritime sector, that they are confident to take leadership roles, that their perspectives are included in decision-making and that their expertise is valued," said Mariana Noceti, Principal Programme Assistant and lead for the IMO Women in Maritime programme.

The outcomes of the workshop will contribute to the development of a Pacific Gender Responsive Maritime Governance Guidance and a regional advocacy action plan, both intended to promote more coordinated and effective action across the region. 

The workshop was delivered through a partnership between the IMO Women in Maritime Programme and the SMART-C Women Project, a partnership of IMO and the Republic of Korea. Seven participants who had previously completed the 2025 SMART-C Women training joined the workshop to further expand their professional networks in the region and build leadership skills.

Pacific regional strategy finalized

On the final day, PacWIMA held its annual meeting (12 February), where members elected a new Executive Committee and finalized their five-year regional strategy.

The strategy will be presented to the Pacific Heads of Transport Meeting in May 2026, for endorsement. 

This activity was jointly financed through contributions from the Governments of Australia and China to the IMO Women in Maritime Programme, with additional financial support from the SMART-C Women Project, and implementation support from the Pacific Community (SPC) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).