How WIMA Asia Began
Women in Maritime Asia (WIMA Asia) traces its roots to the global movement initiated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to widen the participation of women in the maritime sector. In line with the United Nations’ call for greater gender inclusion across all industries, the IMO launched the Women in Maritime Programme to promote women’s empowerment, leadership, and meaningful participation in maritime affairs.
It was in the Philippines, a major global maritime labor hub, that this regional vision was first realized. Building on the pioneering work of Women in Maritime Philippines (WIMAPHIL), WIMA Asia formally emerged in 2010 as a non-profit, non-stock regional organization. From its inception, it committed itself to advancing Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water), in harmony with the IMO’s broader agenda of integrating women into all facets of the maritime industry. This milestone marked the Philippines as the birthplace of the WIMA Asia movement.
Guided by a vision of a maritime industry where women are fully represented, equally empowered, and actively shaping decision-making, WIMA Asia was founded with a clear mission:
to promote women’s leadership, strengthen regional cooperation, build capacities, and create inclusive pathways for women across seafaring, shore-based professions, maritime education, governance, and related sectors.
Since then, WIMA Asia has served as a regional platform for collaboration, policy advocacy, capacity building, and visibility for women maritime professionals across Asia. With its secretariat initially housed in the Philippines and its first regional leadership drawn from WIMAPHIL, WIMA Asia continues to carry forward its founding purpose, to empower women, strengthen regional solidarity, and help shape a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable maritime future for Asia and the world.
It is a strategic partner of Marine Environment Protection of the Seas of East Asia (MEPSEAS), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Seafarers Excellence Network based in the Republic of Korea (APEC SEN), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UN ESCAP), and Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA).
