Port elizabeth: Women have been urged to take a leading role in shaping the future of South Africa's maritime industry. The Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, emphasized the necessity for schools to encourage more girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and for higher education institutions to intensify training in scarce and critical skills, such as the maritime sector. According to South African Government News Agency, Chikunga addressed the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) stakeholder dialogue at Nelson Mandela University in the Eastern Cape. The dialogue, held under the theme 'Accelerating Action: Empowering Women to Navigate New Horizons', concentrated on transforming and empowering women in the maritime sector, enhancing their knowledge and providing a platform for networking and building supportive connections. Chikunga highlighted the importance of synergy between institutions supporting women, including access to funding, financial literacy programs, and capacity-building initiatives for women-owned businesses. She mentioned that the Empowerment of Women Working Group's G20 priorities aim to facilitate this synergy, with financial inclusion being a lived reality for all women in the maritime sector. The Minister pointed out persistent inequalities within the workforce, citing that while women constitute 44% of South Africa's workforce, only 27% hold managerial positions, according to the World Bank. In the maritime industry, the disparity is more pronounced, with women accounting for just 1% of active seafarers globally and less than 20% of the overall maritime workforce. Chikunga underscored the untapped potential of South Africa's ocean economy, noting the country's extensive coastline, commercial ports, and economic zone, yet acknowledging that the sector's contribution to GDP is underdeveloped. She referenced Operation Phakisa, the national 'Blue Oceans Economy' strategy lau nched in 2014, as a pivotal growth driver with the potential to contribute significantly to GDP and create substantial employment opportunities by 2030. She also mentioned the role of the World Maritime University and state institutions like the Transport Education and Training Agency (TETA) in providing funding for maritime studies, thus facilitating a competent workforce. The Minister highlighted that the establishment of maritime qualifications at universities, including Nelson Mandela University, has been supported by the World Maritime University, leading to the formation of SAIMI.
