This week, WISTA International’s President Elpi Petraki participated in the Cyprus Presidency Conference in Brussels – “Conference on Equal Opportunities & Inclusion in Maritime”, organised by the Shipping Deputy Ministry of Cyprus. Contributing to a panel debate: From Policy to Practice: Enabling Equal Opportunities Across the Maritime Sector, the session explored how policy frameworks at European and international level are effectively translated into industry practices that promote equality.

During the conference, the Honors for Diversity and Inclusion in Maritime 2026, organized by WISTA Cyprus, was presented. WISTA International proudly supported the Awards, along with the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026, the European Commission’s Women in Transport EU Platform for Change, and other associations including the European Shipowners | ECSA, European Transport Workers’ Federation, International Chamber of Shipping, International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), and InterManager. The Honors celebrate practical actions, innovative approaches, and leadership that foster fair, respectful, and inclusive workplaces both at sea and ashore. Congratulations to the winners from CMA CGM for their She Sails programme and Hafnia for their Hafnia Culture Lab initiative.

It was also a pleasure to connect with our wider WISTA network, including with Céline MORTIER, President of WISTA BELGIUM, Marjolein Boer, President of WISTA The Netherlands, Anna Pittalis, President of WISTA Cyprus – as well as Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, Karin Orsel and others within the community.

Thank you to Marina Hadjimanolis and the excellent team at the Deputy Shipping Minister of Cyprus.