Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou Wins First IMO Gender Equality Award

Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou of Cyprus has been appointed the first-ever recipient of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Gender Equality Award, in a historic gesture. The IMO Council formally approved the decision on November 24, 2023, at its 130th session.

Ms. Panayiotou Theodosiou, former President of the Women's International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA International), was honoured for her remarkable contributions to gender equality and women's empowerment in the maritime sector. Cyprus nominated her for this prestigious prize, recognizing her significant contribution in bringing to light the issues that women confront in the marine industry.

Her lobbying efforts increased substantial awareness among industry players, legislators, and the general public. Ms. Panayiotou Theodosiou's initiatives, such as the Women in Maritime Survey 2021 and the Maritime Speakers Bureau, aimed at tackling gender gaps and elevating the voices of women in the maritime profession and were instrumental in achieving consultative status for WISTA International at the IMO.

Mr. Mikael Skov (Denmark), Ms. Sanjam Sahi Gupta (India), Commodore Amit Srivastava (India), Ms. Eunjung Heo (Republic of Korea), and Ms. Camille Dyan A. Simbulan (Philippines) also received Letters of Commendation from the IMO Council, recognizing their significant contributions to gender equality in various maritime sectors.

Ms. Panayiotou Theodosiou will receive the IMO Gender Equality Award, which was established to acknowledge remarkable achievements to gender equality in the maritime industry, during the International Day for Women in Maritime festivities in May 2024. WISTA International, the International Transport Workers' Federation, the International Chamber of Shipping, IMO Member States, and the Legal Committee Chair evaluate nominations for the prize.