January 3, 2026
Our First Assistant Engineer Bhagyashree Ogale was one of the candidates selected for a Woman’s Leadership and Empowerment program sponsored by the International Maritime Organization and the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA International). She shares her thoughts and wonderful experience brought by this meaningful event.
“I was honored to participate in the first-ever Women’s Leadership and Empowerment Programme held at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmo, Sweden jointly sponsored by the IMO and WISTA International. Seventeen mid-career women leaders from seventeen different countries were selected for this program, all representing the global maritime sector.
The course focused on strengthening leadership capabilities, enhancing confidence, and inspiring participants to aspire to the highest leadership roles within their organizations. The program also offered dynamic learning through interactive sessions, public speaking workshops, project presentations, and group discussions.
These activities encouraged us to think and act like leaders: taking charge, challenging ourselves, and envisioning our potential as future decision-makers in the industry. With a blend of online and on-campus sessions, we had the invaluable opportunity to connect with professionals from around the world and discuss shared challenges, despite our diverse cultural backgrounds.
In the first stage, we learned about project design and management, theory classes, as well as interactive discussions in the break out rooms.
The second stage focused on enhancing our leadership skills by explaining different leadership styles, mentoring, coaching, public speaking, and ways to write a press release. We were given individual and group projects to brainstorm on ideas and to give presentations on solving real world problems. The ideas from all the women were really inspiring. It opened our eyes to new perspectives and increased our self-confidence. We also realized that we were facing similar issues at work, which helped strengthen our bond. It was really eye opening.
Finally, we had to make a project on how we were going to use these enhanced leadership skills in our work place and mentor someone in order to become a leader in the true sense. This was instrumental as these would be stepping stones to achieve higher levels of leadership. We were fortunate to have great mentors to guide and support us.
The experience broadened our perspective on the multitude of opportunities that exist in the maritime domain and significantly boosted our communication, coaching, mentoring, and presentation skills. Most importantly, the program reinforced a powerful belief: leadership is not defined by gender or age. It is an ability we all possess; developing and excelling in it is a journey we choose to take.”
See the images of Bhagyashree’s wonderful experience:
