The Association for Women in the Maritime Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa region (WOMESA) is an autonomous, private, non-profit association whose main objective is the empowerment of women and the promotion of gender equality in the maritime sector.

The Association was initiated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and launched in December 2007, in Mombasa, Kenya, as part of the IMO’s Integrating Women into the Maritime Sector (IWMS) programme. To date, the Association has launched local chapters in five countries, namely Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius, Namibia and Tanzania respectively.

Aims of the association :

• To promote gender equality in the maritime sector in Eastern and Southern Africa;
• Integrate women into mainstream maritime activities;
• Promote women’s access to the maritime sector through education, training and career opportunities;
• Lobby for an increase in the percentage of women at senior management level in the maritime sector;
• Promote women’s access to quality jobs in the maritime sector;
• Improving the inclusion of women in the maritime sector through partnership and collaboration with development partners;
• Promote cooperation, friendship and understanding through the exchange of knowledge and the dissemination of information.