Govt Honours 10 women on International Day for Women in Maritime 2025

On the occasion of the International Day for Women in Maritime 2025 on 18 May 2025, the government of India honoured 10 Indian women in the maritime sector. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal also unveiled the ‘ Sagar Mein Samman’ policy, which aims to increase women's participation in the maritime sector and create an equitable maritime workforce.

The International Day for Women in Maritime has been celebrated on the 18th of May every year since 2022.

2025 International Day for Women in Maritime Celebration in India 

On the International Day for Women in Maritime, the Directorate General of Shipping organised a function in Mumbai in collaboration with “Sagar Mein Samman”, the Maritime Union of India, and the National Maritime Day Committee.  

Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, was the chief guest at the ceremony.

The theme of the ceremony was -Women in Maritime: Leading Transformation and Sustainability.

Main highlights of the Sarbananda Sonowal Speech in Mumbai

• Sarabanad Sonowal honoured 10 women on the occasion: Sumita Banerji, Bharati Bhandarkar, Kalpana Desai, Poonam Nagpal, Yen Pinto, Archana Saxena Sangal, Rupali Raj Joshi, Capt Deepti Singh, and Amarjeet Rewari. 
• He unveiled the government's Sagar Mein Samman policy, which encourages women's participation in the maritime sector.
• The government has set a target of 12% female representation in technical maritime roles by 2030.
• The registered women seafarers in the country increased from 1,699 in 2015 to 14,255 in 2024
• Since 2014, the government of India has provided financial assistance to about 2,989 women seafarers.

About the International Day for Women in Maritime 

The International Day for Women in Maritime was launched by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to encourage and promote women in the maritime sector and gender parity.

It was first observed across the world in 2022. 

The London, United Kingdom-based IMO is a United Nations body set up in 1958.

Theme of the 2025 International Day for Women in Maritime

The theme of the 2025 International Day for Women in Maritime is - An Ocean of Opportunities for Women.