Papua New Guinea’s maritime sector marked International Day for Women in Maritime this week by honoring the female professionals transforming the nation’s ports.

Globally, women represent less than 20 per cent of the seafaring workforce despite shipping accounting for over 80 per cent of world trade.

For PNG, a nation boasting one of the Pacific's longest coastlines, bridging this divide is vital for economic and community resilience, as empowering women inherently fortifies the entire industry.

This year’s International Maritime Organization theme, “From Policy to Practice: advancing gender equality for maritime excellence,” underscores a real-time shift across PNG, where women are increasingly commanding leadership and technical roles in engineering, business development, safety, and project management.

The celebrations spotlighted these achievements while reinforcing the need for an inclusive workplace culture that champions career advancement and skill development.

Embodying this momentum, Lae Industrial Park Manager for Projects for PNG Ports Corporation Limited Ms. Eunice Dalton, said that leading project works at Lae Industrial Park, is not where many people would have pictured a woman from PNG a generation ago.

“Today, it is part of the job. My focus is delivering the work safely and on time, and every project I lead also tells the next generation of women that this sector is theirs too.”

This progress is actively supported by a Joint Implementation Unit between the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific and PNG Ports Corporation Limited, which provides targeted training and career opportunities, including key roles within the Kimbe Port Rehabilitation Project in West New Britain Province.

Moving forward, the PNG-Australia Partnership remains dedicated to investing in the professional development and institutional framework necessary to sustain a diverse, highly skilled port workforce.