WiMAC Jamaica chapter unveils plan for professional development, inclusion

The Jamaica chapter of Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC) is accelerating its drive to impact women in shipping in Jamaica and across the region.

Newly elected president of the Jamaica chapter, Valrie Campbell, outlined a bold plan for professional development, mentorship, collaboration and participation while speaking at the new administration’s inaugural meeting at the ROK Hotel in Kingston recently.

“The maritime sector plays an essential role in our economies, cultures and communities. Yet, despite its importance, the representation of women in leadership and decision-making roles remains disproportionately low,” Campbell said.

“This recommitment from WiMAC is not just a celebration, but a call to action – a reminder that true progress requires collective effort, unwavering determination, and the courage to challenge outdated norms,” she continued.

Pointing out that WiMAC is not an organisation but a movement, Campbell said, “It is a platform for advocacy, a network of support, and a beacon of opportunity for women across the region. Through partnerships, mentorship programmes, capacity-building initiatives, and knowledge-sharing forums, we have the power to reshape the narrative and chart a course towards a more inclusive maritime future.”

She said WiMAC Jamaica must embrace cooperation and innovation as its anchor, observing that together the chapter’s women can inspire a new generation of maritime leaders to ensure that no woman feels limited by barriers, biases or boundaries of inequity.

TRANSFORMING LIVES

CorahAnn Robertson-Sylvester, president of the Shipping Association of Jamaica and chairman of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, lauded the work of Nicole Wickham, immediate past president of WiMAC Jamaica chapter who “held the rudder of the organisation through the difficult COVID years”.

Robertson-Sylvester, who is also CEO of Seaboard Freight and Shipping Jamaica, pledged the support of her organisations to strengthen and support the new WiMAC Jamaica administration in its growth and development.

“We will make a difference. We will make a change in Jamaica. And if we can make a change in Jamaica, we can make a change in the Caribbean. And if we can make a change in the Caribbean, we can make a change in the world,” Robertson-Sylvester concluded.

Outlining the genesis of WiMAC, Dr Evette Smith Johnson, president of the General Council of WiMAC and director of graduate studies at the Caribbean Maritime University, said the strength of the regional organisation rests in the national chapters. She noted that the organisation is working to strengthen existing national bodies and establish chapters in countries that do not have such entities.

Over 40 women attended the ROK meeting, which was held to update members on planned initiatives by the WiMAC Jamaica chapter and introduce the new executive.

Other new executive members include Simone Murdock,vice-president; Delores Mason Haynes, treasurer; Christina Brown-Benjamin, secretary; and Verene Henry-Brown, public relations officer.

WiMAC is a network which emerged out of the International Maritime Organization and is committed to transforming the lives of women within the regional maritime industry. The Jamaica chapter was launched in 2016, one year after the regional body.