The Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Ghana on Wednesday begun its fifth Africa Conference in Takoradi with a call on women in the maritime industry to play an active role for the rapid growth of the maritime and oil/gas industry.
Addressing the WISTA at the opening of the three –day conference, Mrs Joyce Bawa Mogtari, the Deputy Minister of Transport, said the world was changing fast in all spheres of life which requires all to move ahead.
Talking on the theme “women in maritime: oil and gas," the Deputy Minister said it behoves on all to nurture the nature’s wealth for the benefit of all.
She appealed to women in leadership positions against negative tendencies such as petty squabbles and forget about bitter past issues as those have the tendency to affect productivity.
The Deputy Minister said they should put up positive attitude and open up their doors for all as a way to mentor young ladies to aim and aspire in life.
In a speech read for him the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo expressed government’s commitment to create jobs in the oil and gas industry to fulfill the local content requirement.
He urged members of the WISTA to ensure transparency and accountability for the sustainability of the association.
Mrs Naa Densua Aryeetey, President of the WISTA said the Association was an umbrella organization of women in management positions involved in maritime transportation business and related trades worldwide.
It is a professional body aims at promoting roles of members and raising the level of awareness about the industry and also to correct the worldwide perception that the maritime and oil/gas industries are male dominated.
Mrs Aryeetey noted that in Africa very few women have ventured into oil/gas sector hardly knowing the opportunities that are available to them.
She said maritime transport could become the mainstay of a nation’s economy as it contributes to about 70 percent of the value of the world’s trade.
There is the need for the government to turn its attention to the industry.
