Pioneering Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming in the Maritime Sector
On the occasion of the International Day for Women in Maritime on 18 May, and WMU Professor Momoko Kitada receiving the 2026 IMO Gender Equality Award, the World Maritime University (WMU) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) released a new Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming in the Maritime Sector, calling for action to address persistent gender inequality across the global maritime industry.
The publication provides practical guidance for maritime administrations, shipping companies, ports, shipyards and maritime education institutions on how to integrate gender considerations into policies, recruitment, training, workplace safety and leadership development. It includes tools tailored to maritime organizations for gender analysis, the development of gender equality action plans, and monitoring and evaluation.
The Handbook was authored by WMU Professor, Dr Momoko Kitada, recipient of the 2026 IMO Gender Equality Award. Professor Kitada said the project emerged out of maritime professionals seeking accessible and practical resources on gender issues beyond academic research. Professor Kitada described the publication as “a pioneering resource in the maritime context” and said she hoped it would support maritime professionals working to create more inclusive workplaces and career pathways throughout the industry.
In the foreword, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the industry must move “beyond rhetoric and toward measurable action,” adding that “a more diverse maritime workforce is a more competent, safer, and more sustainable one.” He called on maritime stakeholders to adopt concrete policies, measurable targets and sustained investment to improve gender diversity across the sector.
WMU President Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr. said in the preface that the handbook was designed to serve as “a roadmap to definitive change,” helping organizations implement practical measures to create more equitable workplaces. He noted that WMU itself had reached gender parity in its Malmö MSc intake for 2025 after decades of targeted efforts to increase opportunities for women in maritime education.
Women account for just 1% of the world’s seafaring workforce and hold only 19% of ministerial roles responsible for maritime affairs. These disparities limit the sector’s ability to build a resilient, innovative and sustainable workforce at a time of major transitions linked to digitalization and decarbonization.
To access the Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming in the Maritime Sector, click here.
To access a short video about the Handbook, click here.
About the Author
Professor Momoko Kitada is a former seafarer and was awarded a PhD in Social Science from Cardiff University, United Kingdom. She joined WMU in 2011 and has become a leading advocate for diversity and inclusion in maritime education and policy. At WMU, Professor Kitada is a Nippon Foundation Chair, the Academic Dean, and Head of Maritime Education & Training (MET). In addition, Professor Kitada teaches in other MSc specializations including Maritime Energy Management (MEM), the Postgraduate Diploma in Maritime Energy, and the Summer Academy on Maritime Decarbonization.
Professor Kitada leads WMU’s gender equality collaboration efforts with IMO, which supports women’s integration in the maritime sector. She is a certified Participatory Gender Audit Facilitator and a certified expert in Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Impact Evaluation.
Professor Kitada actively incorporates gender perspectives in her interdisciplinary teaching in maritime subjects, including maritime education and training, maritime energy management, sustainable development, capacity development, digitalization and innovation, and research methodology. She has over 20 years of research experience in gender equality in the maritime and ocean sectors.
