South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) recognises the maritime sector as the jaguar vein for international trade through exports and importing of goods and is an important sector that consists of thousands of genders. A sector that has been affected by GBV but is not raising enough awareness on the issue.
On Thursday, 24 November 2022 in Cape Town SAMSA a state agency under the Department of Transport hosted the first GBV seminar focused specifically on GBV and related relevant sector-specific efforts to fight and end what is declared the ‘second pandemic’ – Gender Based violence.
Leading to SAMSA hosting the first sector-wide seminar that aims to provide the opportunity to the country’s maritime to expose the challenges of GBV that the sector is confronted with, and outline measures currently, planned towards eradicating them. Using the seminar to launch their SAMSA Maritime GBV Programme that aims effectively raise awareness and promote the mainstreaming of GBV issues within the maritime industry.
South Africa is a member State of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the country is being tasked by a joint working group involving the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and IMO to identify solutions to address seafarers’ issues and the human element also focusing on strategies and tactics aimed at addressing sexual assault and harassment in the maritime sector, says SAMSA.
SAMSA will address these issues adopting from the 2022 Government theme for the 16 Days of activism Campaign “Socio-Economic Rights and Empowerment to build Women’s Resilience against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide: Connect Collaborate, Contract!
Pioneering the event were Deputy Minister of Transport, Ms. Sindisiwe Chikunga, World Maritime University President, Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, Ms. Lena Dyring of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) as well as maritime academic and veteran female seafarer, Dr. Momoko Kitada of the World Maritime University, with leading keynote speakers for the seminar.