Women’s participation in Port State Control (PSC) activities and their access to leadership positions were at the heart of the regional dialogue during the 31st Meeting of the Committee, Administrators of Information Centres and Technical Working Groups of the Latin American Agreement of Viña del Mar (Viña del Mar Agreement), taking place in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, from September 29 to October 2.

The Latin American Network of Women in Maritime Authorities (Red MAMLa) is taking part in the meeting as a special guest. The event brings together Maritime Authorities from across the region responsible for exercising Port State jurisdiction, along with observers and other special guests.

Hosted by Honduras through the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine, the meeting provides a key regional forum for cooperation and the exchange of experiences on issues including the harmonization of Port State Control procedures throughout Latin America.

Against this backdrop, Red MAMLa brought a people-centred perspective to the discussions, with a particular focus on women’s participation in one of the key areas of regional maritime activity.

During the second day of the meeting, Magdalena Santos, President of Red MAMLa, introduced the organization, its strategy and the main areas guiding its work.

She also outlined Red MAMLa’s structure and presented the key elements of its Five-Year Strategy 2025–2029. She highlighted the four pillars that underpin the Network’s work: training, visibility, recognition and empowerment. She also emphasized Red MAMLa’s role within the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as one of the nine women’s associations in the maritime sector recognized worldwide.

As part of its participation, Red MAMLa also presented a document developed through its Maritime Technical Affairs Committee (CATM). The document is the result of collaborative work led by Carolina Pacheco, Director of CATM, and Macarena Cladera, Permanent Representative of Uruguay.

The document sets out progress and proposals aimed at strengthening women’s participation in Port State Control (PSC) activities across Latin America, with particular emphasis on their effective integration into operational roles and their access to leadership positions.

Among the proposed areas of work is the technical training and professional development of PSC officers, both women and men, together with the exchange of experiences and good practices arising from the regional training programme carried out in 2025.

Red MAMLa is also proposing the development of non-binding regional guidance on the human element and gender perspective, the establishment of indicators to monitor women’s participation and professional advancement, and the continuation of initiatives aimed at strengthening women’s presence in leadership positions.

For the Network, increasing women’s participation is about more than improving representation figures. It also means creating the conditions that allow women to access specialized training, develop their careers, take on operational responsibilities and reach positions where they can contribute to decision-making.

Red MAMLa’s participation in the Viña del Mar Agreement meeting therefore adds an important gender perspective to technical discussions where policies and procedures are analyzed and developed discussions that have a direct impact on the future of maritime activity across the region.