Dr. Devotha Mandanda, Alternate Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), has urged African states to translate gender policies into concrete action in order to push for greater gender equality in Africa’s maritime industry.

Presented a paper titled “Gender and Diversity in Maritime in Africa: Where Are We?” at the 8th Conference of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) in Monrovia, Dr. Mandanda highlighted the persistent underrepresentation of women in shipping, seafaring, and leadership roles across the continent.

According to statistics, women account for just 1.2 percent of the world’s seafarers and less than 19 percent of the wider maritime workforce, where in Africa, the figures are even lower, with most women concentrated in administrative and support roles rather than technical or managerial positions.

“Policies exist, but they too often remain on paper, the real challenge before us is turning these commitments into measurable progress that gives women equal opportunities in maritime training, employment, and leadership,” Dr. Mandanda said.

She identified cultural stereotypes, harassment at sea, limited mentorship opportunities, and weak enforcement of gender frameworks as key barriers that discourage women from pursuing maritime careers.

Despite these challenges, she noted progress in several countries, where Liberia has placed 167 women in leadership positions across its maritime institutions, South Africa has increased female participation in its maritime company AMSOL from 8 to 15 percent, and regional networks such as WOMESA, WIMOWCA, and WIMAFRICA continue to mentor and advocate for women across Africa.

Her remarks resonated strongly with delegates, sparking debate on how Africa’s maritime administrations can ensure that the Blue Economy agenda benefits women, youth, and marginalized groups.

She challenged participants to reflect on whether the obstacles facing women in maritime are unique to the sector, or whether they mirror broader structural inequalities across African societies.