Ms. Karin Orsel, co-founder and CEO of the MF Shipping Group based in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has been selected to receive the 2025 IMO Gender Equality Award.

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

The IMO Council endorsed Ms. Orsel as next year’s recipient during its 133rd session held in London from 18 to 22 November 2024. The ceremony to present the Award will take place in May 2025, alongside celebrations for the International Day for Women in Maritime (18 May).

Authenticity and courage  

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.”

Ms. Orsel began working in the industry aged 18 and co-founded the MF Shipping Group aged 23. The ship management company has since grown from managing just six ships, to a fleet of more than 55 vessels with over 1,000 seafaring crew members and 80 office staff.

As CEO for more than 20 years, she has strived to achieve an inclusive culture at her company, recruiting diverse talent, offering mentorship opportunities and actively supporting programmes and initiatives that promote diversity in maritime.

She previously served as President of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA International) and WISTA The Netherlands, in addition to being a member of the board of key maritime bodies, including the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO) and the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR).

She currently serves as President of the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) and Chair of the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), leveraging her positions to advocate for gender equality, seafarer welfare and sustainability measures in the industry.

Letters of Commendation  

The Council decided to award Letters of Commendation to the following nominees, to highlight their dedication to women’s empowerment through best practices and various initiatives across the globe:

• Ms. Flavia Takafashi, nominated by Brazil for her role as Director of the Brazilian National Agency (Antaq) and her contributions to the adoption of policies and initiatives to ensure that gender considerations were integrated into Antaq’s regulatory framework. Her vocal advocacy for matters of diversity and inclusion, her support of quality education to help empower women and her role modelling have significantly contributed to the achievement of a more inclusive and equitable environment in an industry traditionally dominated by men.
• Captain Chunpei Zhan, nominated by China for her achievement as the country’s first female captain of an ocean-going official vessel, her advocacy work to promote the establishment of a mechanism to secure equal employment opportunities on ships for female maritime graduates in China, and her engagement with young children in schools to promote maritime careers and a passion for the sector.
• Ms. Katy Ware, nominated by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), for her commitment to championing diversity throughout her career and her impressive leadership, promoting positive change within her teams to ensure a safe workplace, with diversity of thought and gender balance, as well as her mentoring of women within the United Kingdom and other delegations, to provide them with the skills and personal confidence to take up leading roles in IMO’s work. Ms. Ware was Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the IMO from 2011 to 2024.
• Ms. Elvia Adelina Bustavino Cedeño, nominated by Panama, for the initiatives she spearheaded during her roles as Deputy Administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority, member of the Governing Council and subsequent President of the Network of Women of the Maritime Authorities of Latin America (MAMLa), including the creation of the “Coffee with MAMLa” events and the modification of the regulations of the Panama International Maritime University’s scholarship programme, to guarantee gender parity in the awarding of scholarships.
• Ms. Jung Min, nominated by the Republic of Korea, for the important role she played in the establishment of the Women in Maritime Association Korea (WIMA Korea) and her subsequent work as the Vice-President of the Association, as well as her efforts to implement a three-month global maritime competency enhancement training programme for female trainees who found it challenging to secure onboard employment despite holding certificates of competence. Dr. Jung supported their subsequent employment as third officers or higher on international merchant vessels.

IMO Gender Equality Award  

The IMO Gender Equality Award was established to recognize individuals, irrespective of their gender, who have made significant contributions to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in the maritime sector. The first nominations were made in 2023, for the 2024 award.

Nominations for the 2025 Award were considered by an Assessment Panel comprising of IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez as Chair, along with representatives from WISTA International; the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF); INTERTANKO; two IMO Member States who are Members of the IMOGENder Network; and the Vice-Chair of the IMO Council.

Nominations may be made by Member States and observer organizations, specialized agencies, programmes and funds of the United Nations system; intergovernmental organizations with which IMO has established cooperative agreements or arrangements; and non-governmental international organizations in consultative status with IMO.