As we celebrate International Day for Women in Maritime, May's edition of Maritime Monthly is really about turning words into action. For a long time, there has been talk of policies that support women - but now we’re seeing what that actually looks like in real life.
At the CMU and across the maritime industry, women are not just getting opportunities to enter the field. They’re stepping into leadership, influencing decisions, and making a real impact.
And this isn’t happening by chance. It’s being done on purpose, with the right support, and in ways that can last over time.
The stories in this edition show what happens when opportunities lead to real involvement -when women are not just present, but leading and shaping the future of the industry.
Opening the Channel
Where Access Becomes Opportunity in Maritime
“It really is your intellect and not your gender that determines how you succeed,” says Valarie Campbell, reflecting on her early years in the maritime sector.
Campbell, now Vice President of Business Consulting at Pan Jamaica Group Limited and President of the Jamaican chapter of the Women in Maritime Association Caribbean (WiMAC), began her career in 2001 as a receptionist at Kingston Wharves Limited. It was not until she transitioned into operations that the reality became clear.
“There were not many women involved in those areas,” she recalls. “Most were in administrative roles. Operations was male-dominated.”
That awareness shaped how she approached her own growth - and how she now leads.
As the maritime sector marks International Day for Women in Maritime under the theme “From Policy to Practice: Advancing Gender Equality for Maritime Excellence,” Campbell sees that shift not as an idea, but as something already unfolding.
“Representation and visibility are key,” she explains. “When women can see others in positions of authority, it creates possibility.”
Through the WiMAC, that visibility is being translated into access. Female professionals are not only highlighted, but positioned as mentors for the next generation. At the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), this connection is strengthened through the WiMAC student chapter, where young women are exposed to industry spaces early.
“They’re not sitting at the back,” Campbell says. “We bring them to the table. We put them on the stage.”
That exposure moves support beyond encouragement and into opportunity.
There has been measurable progress. Across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, women are now occupying senior roles in areas such as terminal operations, port management, and maritime administration. Yet gaps remain - particularly at the level where policy is shaped.
“We do have a lot of work to do still because you're not seeing a significant increase in the number of women on boards where policy is set,” Campbell says. “That’s where we can influence real change.”
For Campbell, advancing gender equality is as much about preparation as it is about access.
“You have to equip yourself,” she says. “The bar is high, so you must prepare for the opportunities when they come.”
Visit our YouTube channel to listen to Valrie Campbell’s full interview and hear her story firsthand, in her own words.
Making Space at the Table
How Mentorship Becomes Infrastructure at CMU
“Knowledge alone is not enough,” says Dr. Evette Smith-Johnson. “Women may have the degree, but they still need a space to practice, to grow, and to be seen as equally competent.”
As the Director of the School of Graduate Studies and Research at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) and President of WiMAC, Dr Smith-Johnson operates at the intersection of preparation and opportunity.
For her, moving from policy to practice begins with a clear understanding: access must be built - not assumed.
“I walked with a legacy of being mentored into spaces I would not have entered on my own,” she reflects. “So I knew mentorship had to be something we provide intentionally.”
That thinking led to the creation of the WiMAC student chapter at CMU - not as a club, but as a pathway.
“The aim was to scaffold young women into the space,” she explains. “It’s not just about knowledge. It’s about emotional intelligence, professional readiness, and the ability to navigate a complex environment.”
In practice, that means early exposure - students connecting with industry professionals, learning in real time, and receiving guidance as they build competence.
“When young women are given that kind of support, they become more confident and more capable,” she says. “They are not learning in isolation.”
She points to a persistent gap between intention and readiness.
“You can set targets, but if you don’t build the pipeline, you won’t meet them,” she says. “So the work becomes: who are we preparing now?”
At the CMU, that preparation is deliberate and continuous - from balanced enrolment across programmes to access to mentorship, research, and industry-facing opportunities.
“We don’t place ceilings,” she says. “We create space for people to grow into their best professional selves.”
That approach is already producing results - students moving into global roles, leadership tracks, and industry visibility.
“What the student chapter adds is intentionality,” she says. “We are helping them see the spaces they can enter.”
Visit our YouTube channel to listen to Dr Evette Smith-Johnson’s full interview and hear her story firsthand, in her own words.
She Saw Herself Here
What Access Produces When Opportunity Meets Support
“I wouldn’t say I felt like I belonged,” says Ameleah Russell. “I would say it chose me.”
Now President of the WiMAC student chapter at the CMU, Ameleah’s journey into the maritime sector was not planned. She entered intending to pursue marine biotechnology, but a last-minute shift led her into industrial systems.
“There was a fourth-year student,” she recalls. “She had a demeanor I wanted to emulate. She knew how to be soft, but still command respect.”
It was the first time Ameleah saw what was possible.
Support followed - not from systems alone, but from people.
“When I didn’t know what I was doing, the female student leaders were there,” she says. “They helped me figure out what my future could look like.”
Through the WiMAC and the CMU, that uncertainty became direction.
“WiMAC showed me that I had a path,” she explains. “CMU helped me see that my lecturers could connect me to opportunities - internships, jobs. I didn’t know that when I started.”
That is what access looks like in practice - guidance, visibility, and connection.
The challenges remain real.
“I’m five-foot-three,” she says. “People question whether I can do the work.”
Still, she continues.
Now in leadership, she has become part of the system that supported her.
“Support looks different for everyone,” she says. “Some need encouragement. Some need answers. Some just need someone to show them it’s possible.”
Visit our YouTube channel to listen to Ameleah Russell’s full interview and hear her story firsthand, in her own words.
From Access to Influence
What It Means When Women Shape the Maritime Industry
“I didn’t intend for it to happen,” says Corah Ann Robertson-Sylvester. “I just started contributing - and people started to listen.”
Now Chief Executive Officer of Seaboard Jamaica, President of the Shipping Association of Jamaica, and the first woman to lead the Caribbean Shipping Association, her journey began with a moment.
She raised her hand.
“In those rooms, you were surrounded by people who had been in the business for years,” she recalls. “But I spoke - and after a few meetings, I was nominated to the council (The Caribbean Shipping Association General Council in Group A).”[AG1]
That moment marked the shift from participation to influence.
Today, that shift is visible across the industry.
“When I first attended international meetings, there were no women on the podium,” she says. “Now, you see women leading discussions and shaping decisions.”
Early support played a critical role.
“I was fortunate to have leaders who included me,” she says. “They gave me a platform to rise.”
Now, that access is translating into leadership across the sector.
But representation alone is not enough.
“Meaningful inclusion means our voices are heard and respected,” she says. “Not just that we are in the room, but that we are part of the decisions being made.”
That is where impact begins.
Institutions like CMU play a role in sustaining that pipeline- preparing women not just to enter the industry, but to lead within it.
“The groundwork has been laid,” she says. “You have to believe that you can, take the opportunity, and find the solution after.”
Visit our YouTube channel to listen to Mrs Corah Ann Robertson-Slyvester’s full interview and hear her story firsthand, in her own words.