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The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
Secretariat.
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AS WRITTEN


FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN-BEIJING
4 -15 SEPTEMBER 1995

ADDRESS BY MRS. MONICA N. MBANEFO
SENIOR DEPUTY DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION
Programme for the Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector


FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, THE OCEANS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HAZARDS AND
SEAFARING HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS OCCUPATIONS. MOST OF
US REMEMBER THE STORY OF "THE ANCIENT MARINER". BEING A UNITED NATIONS
AGENCY SOLELY CONCERNED WITH MARITIME SAFETY, IT THEREFORE NATURALLY
FOLLOWED THAT THE ACTIVITIES OF IMO HAD UNTIL THE RECENT PAST  BEEN
DOMINATED BY MEN.

HOWEVER, SINCE THE UNITED NATIONS INITIATED ITS ACTION FOR EQUALITY OF
THE SEXES, IMO, A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED TECHNICAL  AGENCY, HAS SHOWN
UNPRECEDENTED COMMITMENT TO THE ISSUE IN QUESTION.

OVER THE YEARS, IMO HAS BUILT UP A PRAGMATIC PROGRAMME WHICH
INCORPORATES THE United NATIONS' KEY RECOMMENDATIONS AS REGARDS HUMAN
RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING.

THE PURPOSE OF IMO'S PROGRAMME IS TO ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENT
OBJECTIVES:

 * TO INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN AT THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT LEVEL
   WITHIN THE MARITIME SECTOR;
 * TO IMPROVE WOMEN'S ACCESS TO MARITIME TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGY;
 * TO INTEGRATE WOMEN INTO MAINSTREAM MARITIME ACTIVITIES;
 * AND TO PROMOTE WOMEN'S ECONOMIC SELF-RELIANCE, INCLUDING ACCESS TO
   EMPLOYMENT.

WITH REGARD TO THE INCREASE OF WOMEN AT THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT LEVEL, IMO
PERSONNEL POLICIES HAVE RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO CHANGE THE IMBALANCE IN
AREAS WHERE THIS WAS POSSIBLE. IN THE LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS
THE WOMEN IN THE  PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY OUTNUMBER THE MEN AS PREFERENCE
HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE EMPLOYMENT AND PROMOTION OF SUITABLY QUALIFIED
WOMEN. MEMBER GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED TO RECOMMEND FEMALE
CANDIDATES FOR SENIOR APPOINTMENTS. IN JANUARY 1990 THE FEMALE STAFF IN
THE PROFESSIONAL AND HIGHER CATEGORIES WAS 20.2% AND IN NOVEMBER 1994 IT
HAD RISEN TO 30%.

TO IMPROVE WOMEN'S ACCESS TO MARITIME TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGY THE
OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK IS INTENDED TO ENCOURAGE THE FULL AND SYSTEMATIC
INTEGRATION OF WOMEN IN THE ORIGINATION’S TECHNICAL  CO-OPERATION
ACTIVITIES. AS EQUAL BENEFICIARIES OF THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY AND
WITH EQUAL ACCESS TO MARITIME TRAINING RESOURCES. THE IMO INTERNATIONAL
MARITIME LAW INSTITUTE IN MALTA RESERVES 50% OF ITS ADMISSION VACANCIES
FOR WOMEN.

WITH A VIEW TO INTEGRATE WOMEN INTO MAINSTREAM MARITIME ACTIVITIES AND
TO PROMOTE WOMEN ECONOMIC SELF-RELIANCE, INCLUDING ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT,
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A STRATEGY IN WHICH WE CLEARLY SET OUT OUR GOALS FOR
ACCESS TO TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT FOR WOMEN. AT THE IMPLEMENTATION
LEVEL, ACTIVITIES ARE STRUCTURED THROUGH THE IMO MEDIUM-TERM PLAN FOR
THE INTEGRATION OF WOMEN IN THE MARITIME SECTOR

IN 1988 THE IMO FIRST INITIATED A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO THE ADVANCEMENT
OF WOMEN IN THE MARITIME SECTOR BY THE DESIGNATION OF A FOCAL POINT FOR
WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT. FROM THE START OUR AIM WAS TO MAKE THIS PARTICULAR
ASPECT OF DEVELOPMENT AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ORGANIZATION'S TECHNICAL
CO-OPERATION PROGRAM -THE POINT BEING THAT BY IMPROVING WOMEN'S ACCESS
TO ALL LEVELS OF TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT IN THE MARITIME INDUSTRY, WE
WERE ALSO STRENGTHENING THE TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION PROGRAMME AS A WHOLE.

THE YEAR 1992 MARKED A PARTICULAR WATERSHED FOR IMO'S WOMEN IN
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, WHEN IMO FIRST RECEIVED EXTERNAL FUNDING FOR ITS
ENDEAVORS IN ADDITION TO THE RESOURCES WHICH THE  ORGANIZATION ITSELF
HAD DEDICATED SINCE 1988. THIS REFLECTED A CLEAR APPROVAL BY MEMBER
STATES AND WITHIN THE UN INTER-AGENCY FORUM, THAT WHILE IMO HAD COME TO
THIS ISSUE VERY MUCH LATER THAN OTHER AGENCIES WHOSE MANDATES LENT
THEMSELVES MORE READILY TO THIS ISSUE, IMO HAD NEVERTHELESS SUCCEEDED IN
ESTABLISHING A STRATEGY WHICH AVOIDED THE RHETORIC SOMETIMES ASSOCIATED
WIHT THIS ASPECT OF DEVELOPMENT AND HAD SET A COURSE OF PRACTICAL
ACTIONS.

THIS HAS BEEN A PRAGMATIC PROGRAMME, BASED ABOVE ALL ON PROMOTING THE
TRAINING OF WOMEN IN ALL MARITIME RELATED DISCIPLINES, AND ON EASING
THEIR ACCESS TO NATIONAL AND REGIONAL MARITIME TRAINING ACADEMIES AROUND
THE WORLD. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF DONOR FUNDING, THE IMO WOMEN IN
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME HAS ACHIEVED THE FOLLOWING SUCCESSES THROUGH THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF ITS PLAN OF ACTION:

 - A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS ON GENDER-PLANING METHODOLOGY, TAILORED TO THE
SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE MARITIME SECTOR AND TARGETED AT ALL IMO OFFICERS
INVOLVED IN IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES, WERE CONDUCTED IN-HOUSE, WITH THE
OBJECTIVE OF FORMALIZING THE WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISMS WITHIN THE
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF IMO'S TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION PROJECTS.

 - A SPECIAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME WAS ESTABLISHED FOR WOMEN CANDIDATES,
THE PURPOSE OF GENDER-SPECIFIC FELLOWSHIPS BEING TO PROVIDE THE INITIAL
IMPETUS TO OVERCOMING SOME OF THE BARRIERS OF ACCESSION TO THE HIGHEST
LEVEL MARITIME POSTS. THE IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROGRAMME IS TO
CIRCUMVENT SITUATIONS WHERE MALE CANDIDATES MAY TRADITIONALLY BE GIVEN
PREFERENCE, PARTICULARLY WHEN FUNDING IS SCARCE. IN THE LONGRUN, IT WILL
ENCOURAGE EQUITY IN THE APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION OF WOMEN TO HIGH-LEVEL
POSTS WITH MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

 - RECOGNITION OF THIS ISSUE HAS ALSO BEEN PURSUED THROUGH THE
ORIGINATION’S GOVERNING BODIES: FOLLOWING APPROVAL BY THE TECHNICAL CO-
OPERATION COMMITTEE AND OF THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE, A RESOLUTION
ON THE "PROMOTION OF PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN MARITIME TRAINING" WAS
ENDORSED AT THE RECENT STCW CONFERENCE. IN ADDITION, THE TECHNICAL
COOPERATION COMMITTEE HAS ADOPTED A RESOLUTION ON "MEASURES TO ENHANCE
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IMO MEDIUM-TERM PLAN FOR THE INTEGRATION OF
WOMEN IN THE MARITIME SECTOR". (COPIES OF BOTH THESE RESOLUTIONS ARE
AVAILABLE ON REQUEST)

BEFORE CLOSING I WOULD LIKE TO REFER TO THE; RECENT REPORT OF 1S; UN
JOINT INSPECTION UNIT, ENTITLED " THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN THROUGH AND
IN THE PROGRAMMES OF THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE
FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN?" THE INSPECTORS IDENTIFIED SOME OF THE
GENERIC DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED BY ALL AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE VERY
RESTRICTED RESOURCES. THE JIU CONCLUSIONS AS REGARDS IMO ARE AS FOLLOWS:

“THE SMALLER AND MORE TECHNICAL AGENCIES OFTEN HAVE A MUCH MORE LIMITED
SET OF ACTIVITIES AND POLICIES FOR WOMEN’S ADVANCEMENT, FOLLOWING THE
BELIEF THAT THEIR SMALL  SECRETARIATS AND THE TECHNICAL FOCUS OF THEIR
OPERATIONS MAKE  A PROGRAMME FOR WOMEN'S ADVANCEMENT ESPECIALLY
DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE. AN EXCEPTION THAT INDICATES WHAT CAN STILL BE DONE
IN A QUOTE "MAN'S DOMAIN" IS PROVIDED BY THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME
ORGANIZATION. ON THE HUMAN RESOURCES SIDE, IMO IS ONE OF ONLY THREE
SYSTEM AGENCIES WHICH HAS ACTUALLY MET ITS PRESENT TARGET PERCENTAGE OF
PROFESSIONAL WOMEN STAFF. IMO HAS ALSO ESTABLISHED A POLICY AND
PROCEDURES ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND IS CONSIDERING WORK/FAMILY ACTIONS,
ACTIONS TO IMPROVE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF MORE WOMEN STAFF, AND
SPECIAL TRAINING SEMINARS REQUESTED BY WOMEN STAFF."

CONCLUSION

WHAT IMO IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE IS AN ENVIRONMENT FOR CHANGE AND GROWTH
WITHIN THE MARITIME SECTOR, WHERE WOMEN CAN FULFILL THEIR  FULL
POTENTIAL. IMO THEREFORE UNDERTAKES TO DEMONSTRATE THE SAME ZEAL AND
COMMITMENT TO THE FULFILMENT OF THE PLATFORM FOR ACTION ADOPTED BY THIS
CONFERENCE.