Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou receives IMO’s Gender Equality Award

LONDON : Ms. Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou former President of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA International), has been selected as the recipient of the first-ever IMO Gender Equality Award.

The IMO Council, at its 130th session (C 130, 21-24 November), endorsed the decision of the Assessment Panel, which decided to recommend Ms. Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou as the recipient of the first IMO Gender Equality Award, due to the pivotal and leading role she played in advancing gender equality and empowering women throughout her tenure as President of WISTA International. Ms. Panayiotou Theodosiou was nominated by Cyprus.

Ms. Panayiotou Theodosiou’s actions brought significant attention to the Association’s mission and shed light on the challenges faced by women in the maritime industry, raising awareness among industry stakeholders, as well as international policy and decision makers, while also amplifying the voices of women and highlighting their important contributions to the maritime industry.

As informed, ,Ms. Panayiotou Theodosiou was instrumental in gaining consultative status for WISTA International at IMO. The signing of a memorandum of understanding between both Organizations translated into multiple successful initiatives, such as the Women in Maritime Survey 2021, aimed at examining the representation and distributions of women working in the maritime sector; and the Maritime Speakers Bureau, a platform of female experts in a variety of maritime fields which seeks to amplify the voices of women in the maritime industry by ensuring that conferences and events feature inclusive panels with a range of perspectives.

IMO Gender Equality Award

The IMO Gender Equality Award has been established to recognize to those individuals, irrespective of their gender, who, either in their personal capacity or as representatives of their respective institutions, have made significant contributions to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in the maritime sector. The presentation of the award will be made during the Organization’s celebrations of the International Day for Women in Maritime, in May 2024.

Nominations are considered by an Assessment Panel, comprised of representatives of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA International); the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF); the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS); two IMO Member States who are Members of the IMO Gender Network; and the Chair of the Legal Committee.