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Equality

Maritime entrepreneur to receive 2025 IMO Gender Equality Award

28 November 2024

Chair of the International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) and maritime entrepreneur Karin Orsel will receive the 2025 International Maritime Organization (IMO) Gender Equality Award.

The IMO Council endorsed Ms Orsel as the 2025 recipient during its 133rd session, held in London from 18 to 22 November 2024. She will be presented with the award in May 2025, alongside celebrations for the International Day for Women in Maritime (18 May). 

Ms. Orsel began working in the maritime industry aged 18 and co-founded the Netherlands-based MF Shipping Group aged 23, where she has been CEO for more than 20 years. The ship management company grew from managing just six ships, to a fleet of more than 55 vessels with over 1,000 seafaring crew members and 80 office staff.   

The IMO Gender Equality Award is bestowed on individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in the maritime sector.  

Members of the assessment panel for the award emphasized Ms. Orsel's 'longstanding commitment to positive change, with true authenticity and courageously standing up for what she believed was right in the face of adversity.'

She currently serves as chair of ISWAN, a Nautilus maritime charity partner, and is president of the European Community Shipowners' Association.  She was previously president of WISTA International and WISTA The Netherlands, in addition to being a member of the board of key shipping bodies. 

Nominations for the 2025 Award were considered by an assessment panel comprised of IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez and representatives from the International Transport Workers' Federation, WISTA International, INTERTANKO, two IMO Member States which are members of the IMOGENder Network, and the vice-chair of the IMO Council. 

 


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