The project includes efforts to support the participation of women in equal terms within the ship recycling industry at all levels. To guide and monitor these efforts, SENSREC has a gender action plan and results framework have been developed for the project. This in line with IMO’s Strategic Plan, which specifically address the goal of strengthening the role of women in the maritime sector (Strategic direction 6) in line with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution A/RES/72/147. That resolution which highlights the need raised in previous resolutions regarding “Strengthening the institutional arrangements for support of gender equality and the empowerment of women” calls upon all actors, including Governments, the United Nations system and its specialized agencies, other international organizations and civil society to intensify and accelerate action to achieve the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action.
The project contributes to IMO’s long-standing programme on the “Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector” and will encourage Pakistan to open the doors of their governance and activities to enable women to take part or train alongside men and so acquire the high-level of competence that the maritime industry demands. This will be achieved by ensuring that the choice of trainees for national training activities within the project takes into account the criterion of gender balance. In addition, the training packages developed by the project will include specific materials that will aim at the promoting gender equality, including UN overall established gender equality principles and will showcase importance of gender equality as a principle. The project will also promote the participation of representatives of regional and national women’s associations in the relevant project events and have included in its work plan a dedicated Output with specific activities to enable fuller engagement of stakeholders, including ones that target the empowering of women (WISTA, WIMA national and regional level) in specific areas of implementing the HKC. Targeted initiatives focusing specifically on women or the promotion of gender equality are important for reducing existing disparities, serving as a catalyst for promotion of gender equality and creating a constituency for changing the mainstream. Women-specific initiatives can create an empowering space for women and act as an important incubator for ideas and strategies than can be transferred to mainstream interventions.
Actions for gender mainstreaming
The SENSREC project has published a Gender Sensitisation Manual for the Ship Recycling Industry. This publication is aimed ad industry managers and women with an interest in developing a professional career in this sector. It contains general recommendations, do’s and don’ts and insights into the types of roles available in ship recycling. The Manual can be downloaded from the link below.
To increase awareness of women about professional opportunities within the sector, the project has organised Careers fair for women. The aim of these events is also to foment the establishment of a women professional network. The first careers fair for women was held in Chattogram in July 2024.
In support of the development of the women professionals in the sector, the project will launch a Mentoring programme to offer mentoring opportunities for women (including young women), through learning exchanges with peers in relevant companies and/or institutions participating in the SENSREC project. The mentoring programme will focus on national networks, but will offer a few opportunities at the international level.
Other contributions to the SDGs
As part of the UN family, IMO projects such as SENSREC are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SENSREC project is linked to the following SDGs:
SDG 1 – End poverty in all its forms everywhere. By promoting a sustainable industry able to provide decent work conditions and by enhancing the qualifications and capacities of workers, the project will participate in the reduction of poverty among workers and their relatives.
SDG 3 – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The implementation of national regulations complying with international standards will enhance the quality of the environment and benefit to nearby communities. Moreover, the training of workers will assist them in protecting their own health and supporting their families. Well-being is also addressed in the training material.
SDG 5 – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The engagement of stakeholders and implementation officer will support this goal.
SDG 8 – Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. By supporting international standards and providing training, the project will support safety and health at work as well as better working conditions in order to achieve decent work.
SDG 12 – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. While the project does not contribute directly to any of the targets under SDG 12, it must be noted that the ultimate goal of ship recycling is to minimize consumption of resources and energy. In short, the sector aims to reduce, reuse and recycle ship material and equipment.
SDG 14 – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The project will support the efforts of the Government of Pakistan towards implementation of the HKC.
The project will also contribute to achieving the targets outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global biodiversity framework. The project is aligned with the following 2030 Global Targets of the global biodiversity framework:
Target 7. Reduce pollution risks and the negative impact of pollution from all sources, by 2030, to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, considering cumulative effects, including: reducing excess nutrients lost to the environment by at least half including through more efficient nutrient cycling and use; reducing the overall risk from pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals by at least half including through integrated pest management, based on science, taking into account food security and livelihoods; and also preventing, reducing, and working towards eliminating plastic pollution.