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Glofouling Partnerships held the ‘Latin American and Caribbean Women in Maritime: Biofouling Management’ workshop funded by Saudi Arabia on July 11th to 12th, 2024, in Panama. The workshop invited two female participants from 11 nations in the region with the goal of bringing women together to address challenges in the maritime industry and create solutions to address biofouling.
Beneficiary participants came from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica, Madagascar, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This workshop is the second edition dedicated to women working in biofouling management with the inaugural one hosted in Jeddah in 2023 for participants for females from the Middle East and North Africa region.
The event 'Biofouling events in Panama, Fouling Focus' kicked off on July 8th at the International Maritime University of Panama in Panama City, with the focused workshop GloFouling Biofouling Management Workshop on July 11-12. The two-day workshop began with opening sessions featuring a special message from Mr. Aresenio Dominguez, the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) with Dr. Maryam Ficociello of Red Sea Global delivering the keynote speech highlighting,
“This Biofouling Management Workshop aims to build on the success of the previous event in Jeddah, uniting women from various parts of Latin America and the Caribbean region. Through our collaboration and knowledge sharing, this workshop will equip participants with the tools and connections necessary to make a significant impact on biofouling management in their respective countries, and this region.”
She followed this by emphasising the importance of recognizing the vital component women play in addressing the issue of biofouling and building a healthier ocean as a whole.
In addition to the female leaders Invited from the Carribbean and South America region, the Kingdom had representatives from Red Sea Global, the Transport General Authority (TGA), and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). TGA, the main collaborator working with GloFouling Partnerships is committed to supporting the development of a diverse maritime workforce, giving women a safe and empowering place to thrive.
Day One of the ittenary included informational sessions that educated on the work the International Maritime Organization is doing to address the gender gap in the maritime organization. The main session portion of the day outlined educational information on environmental impact of ships biofouling and technology development and innovation that included panel participation. Notably, one of the sessions was dedicated to the IMO TEST Biofouling Gender Action Plan that outlines ways to increase gender diversity in the industry. The conclusion of Day One included presentation by the Kingdom’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology on how education is a powerful tool to empower women in science.
Day Two of the workshop addressed ways to empower female leaders through building networks, and visibility as well as ways to sustain and increase women’s contribution in maritime sector. The workshop concluded with a site visit to the Panama Canal.
Moreover, the workshop saw participation from notable institutions such as the Charles Darwin Foundation, the International Maritime Law Institute, World Maritime University, Smithsonian Environmental Research Centre (SERC). As well as industry representatives from Maresk, MaritimeSHEO, Biofouling Solutions Pty LTD, GreenSea IQ, and Ecosubsea as well as the Chair and Vice-Chair from the Global Industry Alliance for Marine Biodiversity.
The Latin American and Caribbean Women in Maritime: Biofouling Management workshop underscores a concrete commitment to empowering women and equipping female leaders with the vital skills to excel in the maritime field. Saudi Arabia remains dedicated to endorsing comparable initiatives that highlight women as key contributors to the industry.
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