Belize to Host SHE@SEA Summit Celebrating Women in Maritime

Belize is set to join the global observance of the International Day for Women in Maritime with the hosting of the SHE@SEA Summit 2026, scheduled for Monday, May 18 at the Old Belize Jungle Pavilion in Belize City.  The summit will highlight the growing role of women across Belize’s maritime sector, including shipping, fisheries, port operations, marine tourism, vessel management, and maritime safety. Organizers say the event aims to showcase progress while encouraging greater inclusion in an industry that has traditionally been male dominated.

Technical Officer at IMMARBE, Darlin Gaitan, and President of WIMAC Belize, Jaedah Sutherland, note that while more women are entering the field, significant gaps remain.  Sutherland added that initiatives such as maritime summer camps in Belize City, San Ignacio, and Dangriga, along with academic programs like shipping and logistics at Wesley Junior College, are helping to prepare young people, especially women, for careers in the industry.

“Well firstly for me I want them to know that it’s definitely easy but it is doable. I think that a lot of women coming into this sector they already know that it’s a male dominated sector. We attend things, both myself and Ms.Cayetano, at the International Maritime Organization which is in London because that’s pretty much everything for maritime happens and when you get there it’s like a very large room and when you get in that building it’s majority males. I would say 90% males, 10% females if that much and so it’s very hard looking at that and not being somewhat intimidated but I think you really have to just try and make sure that you put yourself on the same level as the men and make sure that if they can do it I can do it as well. So definitely that’s something we want women to know, that it’s not easy but it is doable. Whatever the men can do you can do swell. Sometimes the field, especially when you want to be a  sea fearer that’s not easy there’s a lot of a hard training to be a sea farer but we are seeing more women jumping into that, working on ships and being out there and being on ships on a whole is not something easy to do but we are very glad that we’re seeing more women jump into that.”

Through mentorship, networking, and professional development, WIMAC Belize continues to support women entering and advancing within the sector, while IMMARBE ensures that Belize’s maritime operations meet international standards.