COFFEE WITH MAMLa: WOMEN IN AN OCEAN OF CONSOLIDATION

On the occasion of the commemoration of International Women's Day, on Tuesday, March 15, Red MAMLa held a new version of the event Coffee with MAMLa: Women in an Ocean of Consolidation, which was attended by Chancellor Erika Mouynes, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama as a special guest.

The event began at 10:00 AM (GMT-5) with opening remarks by the President of the Association, Elvia Bustavino, who emphasized the importance of women for the maritime, port and logistics industry, as well as to inform future generations about the benefits of the maritime port sector. She also took the time to thank the 19 member states that make up the Network, the International Maritime Organization, strategic partners and private companies in the area for their invaluable support to the efforts to make women visible and to encourage young women to study maritime careers.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Erika Mouynes, then addressed the participants, expressing her appreciation to our association and member countries, since each one "...contributes with its balanced criteria to an area of indisputable global importance such as the ocean". She also pointed out how important it is for women to come together to "...organize and secure their space as a collective in an area as demanding as the management of the sea", since it is not possible to achieve substantial changes in gender equality, "...if we do not have access to the circles where decisions are made".

At the end of the Chancellor's speech, and under the moderation of the Director of Communications Draiza Medina, the first panel was led by the Director of Social Affairs, who interviewed Carolina Riesco, Chilean, lawyer and Honorary Member of Red MAMLa.

Carolina Riesco, referred to the importance of strengthening self-esteem and self-confidence to effectively achieve personal goals and urged women to frequently review the options of scholarships and courses offered by the different houses of study in the area. In this sense, she pointed out: "the person who is constantly evaluating the risk and integrating barriers is oneself, so it is essential to internalize that the administrator of my career is me, so just dare! Approach your work with responsibility and give the best you have".

The second panel was in charge of the Mentoring Director, Leticia Meza, who interviewed the Uruguayan lawyer Victoria Zorrilla, who is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Tort Law.

Victoria Zorrilla talked to us about the motivations that led her to specialize in Maritime Law, where her family of origin played a fundamental role. She also referred to the professional challenges at the time of implementing the International Maritime Law Regulations to the country's internal policies, pointing out that during the process of correctly applying the provisions of these Conventions, it is necessary to "contact other professionals such as naval surveyors, topographers, seafarers, who are the ones who add and enrich you in the performance of this task", thus establishing the significant relevance derived from collaborative work.

The closing words were pronounced by the Directors of Mentoring and Social Affairs, Leticia Meza and Macarena Cladera, who endorsed the work developed to provide women in the industry with tools for leadership and continuous improvement, and thus ensure that "sorority becomes an experience".

Did you miss it? Don't worry, watch the First Coffee with MAMLA here!

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