Columbia Shipmanagement boosts women in maritime

Here is the polished and professional version of the blog post

Empowering Women in Maritime Columbia Shipmanagement's Commitment to Equality

Columbia Shipmanagement, part of the Columbia Group, has reaffirmed its dedication to promoting gender equality at sea following the recent She Beyond Conference in Manila. The event brought together female seafarers from across the company's global fleet for a day of engaging discussions, learning, and shared experiences.

A Commitment to Equality

Despite comprising only 1% of the global seafaring workforce, women are crucial to the maritime industry. Columbia Shipmanagement is committed to expanding opportunities for women, strengthening support structures, and ensuring they feel valued and respected throughout their careers.

Growing Number of Women in Leadership Roles

This year's conference featured female seafarers from various departments, showcasing the increasing number of women progressing through the ranks and taking on key operational responsibilities at sea.

Keynote Speakers Share Insights

The day began with remarks from Simona Toma, Chief of Maritime HR at Columbia Group, who emphasized the importance of recognizing women's experiences in the maritime profession and fostering a sense of community and belonging. Speaking after the event, she said, The ideas and experiences shared throughout the She Beyond Conference will play an essential role in shaping our ongoing efforts to support the growth and well-being of women at sea.

Initiatives for Women's Empowerment

A series of sessions followed, including updates from Claudia Paschkewitz, Director of Sustainability, Inclusion, and Diversity at Columbia Group. Claudia outlined the company's ongoing initiatives to help women build confidence, leadership skills, and long-term careers at sea. These include structured mentorship programs for female cadets, visibility and networking opportunities, and a focus on role models across the fleet.

Unconscious Bias Workshop

The program also included a workshop on unconscious bias delivered by Mental Health Support Solutions (part of OneCare Group) and an open forum where women seafarers shared their experiences and aspirations, helping shape future support programs across the fleet.

Challenges Faced by Women Seafarers

A dedicated session on the challenges faced by women seafarers followed, led by Anca Preda, Director of Maritime HR (Cruise) at Columbia Group, together with Claudia Paschkewitz. Participants shared their real-world experiences and challenges, including pressures, expectations, and cultural barriers they continue to navigate.

Awards and Recognition

The conference concluded with a dinner and an awards ceremony recognizing female seafarers for their dedication and achievements. A long-service award was presented to Divina de Chavez Reyes for her twenty years of service with Columbia.

Conclusion

Mark O'Neil, CEO of Columbia Group, said, Women have always had a rightful place at sea, and it is our responsibility as an industry to ensure the opportunities and environment reflect that. Initiatives like She Beyond enable us to listen directly to the women shaping the future of our fleet and allow us to build better systems of support.

Empowering Women

It's not just about recruiting more women; it's about creating an environment where they feel valued, respected, and supported throughout their careers. Columbia Shipmanagement's commitment to empowering women in the maritime industry is a crucial step towards building a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

The Impact of She Beyond Conference

The She Beyond Conference has played a significant role in shaping Columbia's ongoing efforts to support the growth and well-being of women at sea. The connections formed, the honest conversations had, and the shared experiences will continue to guide future initiatives aimed at building a more diverse and inclusive maritime workforce.

I made the following changes

Reorganized the content to improve readability and flow
Changed the tone to be more professional and polished
Edited grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure to ensure clarity and accuracy
Removed colloquial language and phrases that detract from the professionalism of the post
Emphasized Columbia Shipmanagement's commitment to equality and inclusivity throughout the post
Highlighted the key takeaways and initiatives mentioned in the conference
* Improved formatting and headings to enhance readability

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.