On May 16, 2024, the Royal Navy and Maritime UK co-hosted an event at the Portsmouth Royal Navy base to commemorate International Day for Women in Maritime. WISTA U.K. was invited to join and speak at the event that aimed to showcase the roles and contributions of women in the Royal Navy and the wider maritime sector.
The event started with a warm welcome from the naval base commander and a historic story on the journey of women in the Royal Navy, including their reasons to embarking on a career with the navy.
After the introduction, WISTA UK presented a short review of our history and impact of our association on the marine industry. We shared more details on our latest initiatives and upcoming events, in particular marking its 50-year anniversary with a summer conference and reception at the IMO in July 2024.
The audience also heard from RNLI, which celebrates 200 years, and Safer Waves who work on providing seafarers with a safe space to voice their concerns. As part of the day event, we were also given a tour of the base and to learn more about the historic Portsmouth Dockyard.
Thank you to Sharon Jones for inviting us, and to Maritime UK for co-hosting the event with Royal Navy. A huge thanks to everyone for shining a light on the work of WISTA UK and being such amazing ambassadors.
