The Wista 40 by 30 pledge is a voluntary commitment by WISTA members and supporters to promote gender diversity and inclusion in the maritime sector. WISTA, the Women's International Shipping and Trading Association, is a network of more than 4300 female professionals from 56 countries who work in various segments of the maritime industry.
The pledge aims to address the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in the maritime sector and to foster a more diverse and inclusive culture.
“This is a great initiative that we at Gard are proud to take part in. Wista 40 by 30 is something we can proudly front and want to use our influence to make a positive change”, said Lars Lislegard-Bækken, Chief Operating Officer at Gard.
According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), women represent less than 2 per cent of the world's seafarers. Moreover, women account for only 16 per cent of the shore-based maritime workforce and 12 per cent of the senior management positions.
In Gard, the overall gender balance (at year end 2023) is 56 per cent female employees and 44 per cent male. However, in leadership roles on an aggregate level, the distribution is 39 per cent female and 61 per cent male.
“We know we still have work to do to promote a more evenly distributed gender representation across leadership levels and across various types of positions. This is something we will continue to focus on, alongside other diversity dimensions”, said Aina Bugge Solheim, Vice President, Head of HR at Gard.
Stine, Aina, and Eivind
