Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) has been awarded the SAFETY4SEA Sustainability Award for enhancing opportunities and supporting the role of women in the maritime industry on a global level. The SAFETY4SEA Awards took place for a second consecutive year as part of the SAFETY4SEA Conference within the scope of fostering Safety Excellence & Sustainable Shipping, the WISTA press release said.
The award process was a combination of open nomination and vote and the objective was to communicate and celebrate exceptional performance of the organizations that contributed towards sustainable shipping.
WISTA is a networking Association of women at management level positions in the Shipping industry. In 1974, 6 shipping women with a vision, from 3 European countries, founded WISTA. Today, WISTA International has 40 member-countries around the globe with almost 3,000 members, all sharing the same passion - Shipping! The Award came at a great time, just before the Associations Annual General Meeting and Conference in Rotterdam.
Karin Orsel, President of WISTA International comments: "Receiving such a prestigious award is a recognition that diversity and equal opportunities matter within our Industry. WISTA International has been advocating the importance of increasing the competences and professional development for female leaders in the maritime industry for many years; it is common knowledge that a diverse team leads to more creativity, success and thus profit. There is still a long way to go in many regions of the world, but we work hard to cultivate and establish women in the best industry in the world!”
Katerina Stathopoulou, member of the Executive Committee of WISTA International, accepted the award on behalf of WISTA and stated: "Diversity in the workforce promotes sustainability and this can only be achieved by engaging the underutilized talents of the female workforce. In the maritime industry, male and female talent and skills are complementary, and therefore, Shipping Women are indispensable to the Maritime world."
About WISTA International
The Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) is an international organization for women in management positions involved in the maritime transportation business and related trades worldwide. WISTA is a major player in attracting more women to the industry and in supporting women in management positions. With networking, education and mentoring as our focus, we can enhance members competence and empower career success. Founded in 1974, WISTA has grown to include 40 National WISTA Associations with nearly 3,000 members worldwide.