To mark the 2026 International Day for Women in Maritime on 18 May, IMO will organise an event under the theme “From Policy to Practice: Advancing Gender Equality for Maritime Excellence”, aligning with the World Maritime Day theme “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.”
The event will take place on 18 May 2026 at 4.30 p.m. at IMO Headquarters in London and will be live streamed on the IMO YouTube Channel.
As part of the event, IMO will host the presentation of its Gender Equality Award to Professor Momoko Kitada, nominated by Japan, as decided by the IMO Council at its 135th session.
IMO has also released a special video for International Day for Women in Maritime 2026, available at:
and is inviting those who are advancing gender equality in maritime to share videos, photos and insights by posting them on social media using the hashtag:
#WomenInMaritime
Diptesh Chohan
