Women in port management: IPER trains professionals from developing countries

Under the aegis of the IMO, EM Normandie Business School's Institut Portuaire d'Enseignement et de Recherche (IPER) organised the 21st "Women in port management / La gestion portuaire au féminin" seminar from 10 to 21 June 2024 in Le Havre.

This highly sought-after training programme welcomed 31 professionals from maritime and port authorities in 29 developing countries, with the aim of giving them the keys to improving the management and operational efficiency of their home ports.

Based in Le Havre, France's leading port for foreign trade, IPER, the Institut Portuaire d'Enseignement et de Recherche, is recognised worldwide as an expert in the field of maritime and port professional training programmes. Its seminars on "Women in port management", offered in partnership with HAROPA PORT and set up by the International Maritime Organisation, are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality.

The IMO has developed long-standing partnerships to offer specific, high-level training programmes, with easy access, to women working in the maritime and port sectors in developing countries. IPER, for its part, has over the years created a context and environment conducive to capacity building and career development in port administrations.

Each year, an intensive two-week seminar in port management and operations is organised by IPER in partnership with HAROPA PORT for professionals from port authorities in developing countries. This 21st session, which has just come to an end, enabled the 31 participating professionals to share their experiences, assimilate the knowledge and best practices they had learned during the Classes, visit port infrastructures in order to improve the management and efficiency of their respective ports, and answer their questions about the evolution of women in the port environment.

What an enriching experience to highlight the growing career opportunities for women through diversity and inclusion initiatives!
This training programme inspires me to actively contribute to the development of the port industry, particularly in developing countries where it can lead to significant changes in terms of women's responsibility and leadership.
Testifies Gerline Zafiarimanana Port Concession Manager - APMF, Madagascar.

This seminar is an opportunity to ensure the involvement and empowerment of women in the maritime sector, not only in administrative but also technical terms, which are too often associated solely with men, particularly in developing countries.
Adds Haslinda Binti Mohamad Suid, HR Manager - Bintulu Port Authority in Malaysia.