Women in the Dominican maritime industry launched an association for better representation. Launched at the Fort Young Hotel on August 30, the new association is called the Women in Maritime Association Caribbean (WiMAC), Dominica Chapter. The association was initially set up in 2015 under the umbrella of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Apart from the Dominica chapter, WiMAC is also operative in St. Lucia, Suriname, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines among other Caribbean countries.
The organization was established to promote gender equality in the maritime sector, protect the maritime world, ensure efficient port operations, advance safe shipping practices, and generally protect the interests of women in the maritime industry.
The board members of WiMAC include:
- President: Tamara Lowe (Island Manager of Tropical Shipping)
- Vice President: Gloria Tavernier (Managing Director of Networking Trading Inc.)
- Treasurer: Julia Joseph (Accounts Executive Assistant at DASPA)
- Secretary: Tamica Bedneau (Senior Admin Clerk at DASPA)
- National Liason/Member at Large: Bethude Azille (Port Manager Portsmouth, DASPA)
- Member at Large: Melissa Morgan (Director Gender Affairs)
Tamara Lowe told participants at the launch that the inclusion of women in community and organizational leadership is essential for proven growth and progress. According to her, women are always able to broker enduring peace when there is conflicts in any situation, and in parliament, they enact better legislation related to health, education, child support, better governance, gender equality and communal integration among others.
“There is ample evidence that investing in women is the most effective way to lift communities, companies and even countries,” she said. “Countries with more gender equality have better economic growth, companies with more women leaders perform better.”
According to WiMAC’s board members, the marime women association is established to promote women involvements in the maritime industry through capacity building, responsive legislation, career advancement, and professional wellbeing among others.
Parts of WiMAC’s objectives include “establishing partnerships which will allow our members to visit prominent schools to promote the industry, empowering our women to take up more leadership roles…and developing a comprehensive communication strategy and action plan to future enhance WIMAC’S visibility and outreach mechanisms inclusive of social media and other web-based technologies.”
WiMAC’s Vice-President Gloria Tavernier noted that the organization was also established to network, inspire, engage, educate and empower women in the maritime sector in the country and the entire Caribbean region. She also disclosed that the association exists to encourage more women participation where career opportunities abound in the maritime industry.
Our dedication and commitment to being an effective and efficient organization will be evident in our vision for our members to the advance in the local, regional and international maritime sector and to promote gender diversity as an essential and value-adding component of maritime development.
WiMAC’s Vice-President Gloria Tavernier
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