In a day marked by a commitment to equal opportunities and the strengthening of institutional leadership, the webinar “Coffee with MAMLa: International Women’s Day Special Edition” was successfully held.

The meeting, held on March 12, was established as a strategic space for reflection and learning, bringing together leading specialists from international organizations to address the tools needed for transforming the maritime, port, and logistics sector in the region.

The opening of the event was led by Ms. Magdalena Santos Polanco, President of the MAMLa Network, who delivered the welcome remarks, highlighting that these spaces are vital for promoting and strengthening female talent. Under her leadership, the Network reaffirmed its mission to create initiatives that enable women to navigate with determination toward high-level decision-making positions.

The event was hosted by Ms. Michelle Arrocha, Director of the Committee on Foreign Relations and International Cooperation (CRECI), who, in her role as moderator, emphasized that women’s leadership not only transforms organizations but also opens new pathways for future generations of professionals in the sector.

The panel of experts featured high-level contributions:

• Teresa Pérez del Castillo, Consultant on the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) for UN Women, presented on the topic “Women’s Empowerment Principles.” Her intervention highlighted how the adoption of these principles by companies and authorities in the maritime sector can accelerate the closing of gender gaps.
• Nelva Marissa Araúz Reyes, Gender Specialist at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), delivered the presentation “Navigating Toward Equality: Tools for Women’s Leadership and Institutional Transformation.” Dr. Araúz shared practical strategies to ensure that equity moves from being an ideal to becoming a daily practice within institutions.
  

The event concluded with a call to action to continue working on the professionalization and visibility of women in technical fields. “Every step we take toward equality opens new routes for the generations to come,” the moderator noted at the close of the session, reaffirming the MAMLa Network’s commitment to continue navigating toward a more inclusive and equitable future.

With this special edition of “Coffee with MAMLa,” the Network not only commemorates a historic date but also reinforces its position as a key technical actor in the implementation of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Women in Maritime program in Latin America.