By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo
Tema, Dec. 18, GNA – Mr Lawrence Dogli, Programmes Manager of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Institute (GOGMI), has said that maritime security strategies in the Gulf of Guinea must deliberately include women, as threats in the maritime domain affect both men and women.
Mr Dogli said the maritime environment, including fisheries, shipping, transport and academia, involved both men and women whose livelihoods were directly impacted by insecurity at sea.
Speaking at a media platform organised by the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority (GPHA), he said maritime security threats were not gender-blind, making it necessary for policies and interventions to capture women’s roles, vulnerabilities and leadership potential.
He said historical structures in the maritime industry had been built around men, reflected even in job titles, contributing to gender imbalance.
He cited global statistics showing that men constituted about 98 per cent of seafarers and 82 per cent of the port workforce, leaving women significantly under-represented.
He said international initiatives led by the United Nations and regional bodies were promoting awareness, policy reforms and gender mainstreaming within the sector.
Mr Dogli said Ghana had taken steps in this direction, noting the launch of a gender policy by the Ghana Armed Forces and the Code of Practice for Women in Maritime launched by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre as some of the steps.
He said such initiatives applied to both public and private sectors but required national institutions to domesticate them into enforceable policies.
He identified stereotypes, bias, limited access to training and lack of supportive work environments as key barriers to women’s leadership in maritime.
Mr Dogli drew attention to the vulnerability of women in coastal communities, saying economic pressures had made some susceptible to exploitation by criminal networks.
He said women had been recruited into support roles in maritime crimes, particularly when declining fish stocks forced them to seek alternative livelihoods.
He called on maritime associations to extend interventions to coastal women, stressing the need for grassroots research to inform targeted policies and support programmes.
Mr Dogli said meaningful inclusion required organisations to adopt gender-responsive policies that reflected women’s interests and ensured their protection, participation and empowerment in the maritime sector.
GNA
Edited by Christian Akorlie