WISTA Celebrates its 50th Anniversary With New Expansion

WISTA International, the world's largest professional association for women in maritime, has celebrated its 50th anniversary with the launch of a new equity fund and the addition of three new national organizations.  

The association held its 50th anniversary conference in Cyprus, and the keynote was delivered by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides - the first time that the annual event has featured a national leader. Cyprus' Shipping Deputy Minister Cyprus Marina Hadjimanolis, who was also among the speakers, called WISTA "a force of passionate and dynamic women, working tirelessly for gender equality and the global empowerment of women in shipping."

IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez gave a keynote calling for the shipping industry to demonstrate change, and highlighted his personal decision to speak only on conference panels where both women and men are represented. 

WISTA now includes 5,200 members around the world, and it has come a long way since its founding in 1974. WISTA President Elpi Petraki announced that the organization will be broadening the scope of its mission this year, and will continue to "foster environments that uphold DEI" as it pushes for "sustainable shipping for the sake of future generations." 

The international group also celebrated the addition of three new national associations in Honduras, China, and Costa Rica. Altogether, the total number of member organizations now stands at 62. WISTA also formally inaugurated a new "equity fund" to  support members in countries affected by challenges.