Gender Equity in Peruvian Port Management: Challenges and Opportunities

10 Giugno, 2024

Challenges in Women’s Participation in the Port Sector

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index (IGBG), which is a study that compares progress towards gender parity and analyzes gender gaps globally, it is divided into four dimensions: economic opportunities, education, health and political leadership. Since 2006, Peru occupied position 60 in this ranking. However, in 2023, the country has experienced significant progress, ranking 34th [1]. This progress is not only reflected at the global level, but also at the regional level, where this same study on the Global Gender Gap by the World Economic Forum indicates that Peru is in seventh place in the ranking of Latin America and the Caribbean. It is notable that, in this region, Nicaragua and Costa Rica lead in gender equality, while Peru surpasses countries such as Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador, although it lags behind Chile and even Mexico. These data highlight both the progress and challenges that the country still faces on its path towards gender equality and the empowerment of women in all areas of society.

Despite the progress made, women who aspire to make their way in the Peruvian port sector encounter numerous challenges and gaps that hinder their progress. From entrenched cultural barriers to structural inequalities, these women fight against the tide in their quest for equal opportunity and recognition in a male-dominated environment. Through various reflections and conversations between women in the port sector and WISTA PERÚ members, some challenges have been identified that have arisen during the years of professional development in the sector. Among these challenges, the following gaps stand out below, described from the most prominent at the organizational level to those of a cultural and social nature:

  • Unequal representation in leadership and decision-making roles. Despite the growing presence of women in the sector, few manage to advance to senior management or board of directors positions in port companies. This lack of representation limits not only professional growth opportunities for women, but also the diversity of perspectives in strategic decision-making, which can affect the competitiveness and long-term performance of private port companies and public entities. linked to the sector.
  • Pay inequality between men and women in the port sector. Despite performing similar or even identical roles, women often face significant pay disparities compared to their male colleagues. This pay gap not only reflects a fundamental injustice, but also perpetuates a cycle of economic inequality that hinders the career advancement and financial autonomy of women in the industry.
  • Entrenched cultural and social barriers that limit their access and participation in certain sectors and roles within the port sector. Gender stereotypes, prejudices and discriminatory cultural norms can influence the perception of women’s capabilities and abilities, making it difficult for them to access employment, training and professional development opportunities in the sector.

Despite these challenges, women in the Peruvian port sector are demonstrating unwavering determination to overcome barriers and reach new heights. Through collaboration, mutual support and advocacy for gender equality, they are paving the way to a more inclusive and equitable future in the country’s ports.

In the next chapter, we will show the innovative initiatives and best practices that public and private entities are developing to help close these gaps and promote a culture of gender equality in the Peruvian port sector.

In Peruvian port management, gender equity emerges as a crucial issue that demands attention and action. Despite progress in various sectors, gender disparities persist in the different roles linked to the maritime, port, logistics and foreign trade sectors.

Historic milestone at APEC Peru 2024! Ministers of Commerce and Women of the 21 APEC economies approved a Joint Declaration: the commitment to inclusive economic growth and the full and equal participation of women in the economy and trade was reaffirmed. May 17, 2024. (Source: Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y Turismo).

Opportunities for the Promotion of Gender Equality

Programs and projects have been implemented worldwide to encourage the participation of women in trade and, consequently, in port management. Both international organizations and port operators are promoting initiatives that seek to establish gender equality in the port, logistics and foreign trade sectors.

An example of this is Peru’s accession to the Global Trade and Gender Agreement [2], which was established in August 2020 by Canada, Chile and New Zealand. Later, in October 2021, Mexico also joined this agreement, and Peru and Colombia joined in June 2022. The objective of this agreement is to work together to promote increasingly inclusive trade policies and guarantee a more equitable distribution of the benefits of trade and investment. Among the proposals raised are [3]:

  • Implement targeted policies and strategies that work in favor of female business growth.
  • Address gender inequality.
  • Promote business development with a gender equality perspective.
  • Use business initiatives to improve women’s economic empowerment.

Additionally, on May 17, 2024, Peru reached a historic milestone for the country by hosting APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). During this event, a Joint Declaration [4] of Ministers Responsible for Trade and Women was approved, in which the 21 APEC member economies recognized the importance of designing and implementing specific programs to address the current challenges faced by women. on trade.

In this Joint Statement, APEC Ministers Responsible for Women and Ministers Responsible for Trade reaffirmed their commitment to inclusive economic growth and the full and equal participation of women in the economy and trade. The importance of women having access to markets, technology, capacity development opportunities, leadership positions, formalization, among other aspects, was recognized. These actions will contribute to women’s economic empowerment and inclusive and sustainable growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Joint Declaration also highlighted the importance of developing and implementing policies, strategies and structural reforms that address gender inequalities and the multiple and disproportionate barriers that women face. Likewise, efforts will be increased to train officials who can promote gender inclusion and equality, as well as the economic empowerment of women in trade, including through trade policies and agreements.

On the other hand, in the port field, there is the TrainForTrade Port Management program, created by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) since 1996. This program has provided support to port communities in your search for efficient and competitive port management. With the aim of promoting international trade and economic development, the program establishes port networks that bring together public, private and international entities to share knowledge and experiences.

Additionally, the program promotes increased participation of women in management roles in ports and seeks to achieve gender equality in the sector. Likewise, the program is taught in three languages (Spanish, English, French) and covers organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and Europe [5].

In the aforementioned program they establish:

  • Increase the participation of women in management roles in ports
  • Promote international trade and promote economic development
  • Promote gender equality in the sector
  • Support port communities in search of efficient and competitive port management
  • Create port networks that bring together public, private and international entities

Along these lines, the National Port Authority of Peru (APN) as part of the Technical Advisory Committee (CTC) “Social Responsibility, Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women” of the CIP OAS, issued CTC information bulletins with the objective of generating a space for information and meetings at a national and international level with the purpose of disseminating at a hemispheric level the work carried out by women in the port sector and sharing the actions that are being developed in social responsibility. In the aforementioned newsletter, the 2020 Global Corporate Diversity award was highlighted, where the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA International), awarded, on November 5, 2020, to Terminal Internacional del Sur (TISUR), operator of the Port Terminal from Matarani in Peru, the “WISTA Corporate Diversity Award” [6], in recognition of its good practices implemented to consolidate the empowerment and work of women in the maritime and port sector.

International Women’s Day in Maritime Sector organized by DICAPI-National Maritime Authority of Peru. May 15, 2024. (Source: Directorate of Captaincies of the National Maritime Authority of Peru – DICAPI).

In July 2023, during the event titled “20 years of progress in port development in Peru: achievements and challenges” [7], the National Port Authority of Peru (APN) gave special recognition to the country’s port terminal for her outstanding management and commitment to promoting gender equality and female empowerment in the national port sector. In the category “Women in the port industry”, the winner was APM Terminals Callao. This recognition reflects the leadership and dedication of APM Terminals Callao in promoting the participation and advancement of women in the port industry.

Additionally, in the Second Contest “OSITRAN: Good Practices in Gender Equality” [8]. Organized by the Supervisory Body for Investment in Public Transport Infrastructure (OSITRAN), DP World Callao was awarded for its dedication and effort in developing the best and most innovative practices to promote gender equality within its institution. In this context, the proposal of the “Inclusion and Diversity Plan” implemented by the Muelle Sur Port Terminal stood out, which has managed to increase the presence of women in operational and leadership positions, provide training on unconscious biases and adapt the equipment and infrastructure for female staff. This recognition highlights the commitment and significant progress of DP World Callao in promoting gender equality in the port sector and contributes to increasing the participation rate of the female population in the port sector.

Another initiative of the APN this year 2024 in collaboration with the organization WISTA Peru within the framework of their agreement, they have been working on the survey of Maritime Port Women with the objective of counting the information data of port women who work in the entire Port Community at the National level, both from the public and private sectors, in order to make women visible in the port community. This information is related to consolidating the following data: name of the Port Facility, Government Entity, Name of the company or entity belonging to the public or private sector, of the maritime or port sector, with names and surnames, the position held, yes is administrative or operational or managerial or technical, profession, length of service and whether they have a gender equality program or committee in the institution or organization.

Conclusions

Women’s participation in the Peruvian port sector faces challenges in terms of unequal representation in leadership roles, gender pay gaps, and cultural barriers. Although there has been progress in gender equality, obstacles that limit women’s development persist. However, despite these challenges, women in the Peruvian port sector demonstrate determination and commitment to overcome these barriers and contribute to the diversity and inclusion of the sector.

Likewise, various initiatives are being implemented at the global, regional and national level to promote gender equality in the Peruvian port sector. These efforts include Peru’s accession to international agreements, such as the Global Trade and Gender Agreement, and participation in events such as APEC, where the importance of addressing the challenges faced by women in trade is recognized.

At the port level, Terminal Internacional del Sur (TISUR), APM Terminals Callao and DPW Callao are notable examples of companies that have been recognized for their commitment to promoting gender equality and female empowerment in the Peruvian port industry. These initiatives include the implementation of policies and practices that encourage the equal participation of women in the sector.

In addition, data collection initiatives are being carried out, such as the Maritime Port Women survey, to make the presence of women visible and obtain relevant information about their participation in the sector. These actions demonstrate a growing commitment on the part of the actors involved in promoting gender equality in the Peruvian port sector, which will contribute to the economic empowerment of women and inclusive and sustainable growth in this industry.


HEAD IMAGE | First Congress for the International Women’s Day in the Maritime Sector organized by WISTA PERÚ-APM Terminals Callao. May 17, 2024. (Source: WISTA Perú).


NOTES

[1] Foro Económico Mundial (World Economic Forum). (2023, June). Global Gender Gab Report. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2023.pdf/.
[2] Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y Turismo (MINCETUR) (2022, June). Perú se incorpora al Arreglo Global de Comercio y Género para impulsar empoderamiento económico de las mujeres. Gob.pe. https://www.gob.pe/institucion/mincetur/noticias/620632-peru-se-incorpora-al-arreglo-global-de-comercio-y-genero-para-impulsar-empoderamiento-economico-de-las-mujeres/.
[3] Gobierno de Canadá (Government of Canada) (2020, August). Global Trade and Gender Arrangement – Joint communiqué. GAC. https://www.international.gc.ca/trade-commerce/inclusive_trade-commerce_inclusif/itag-gaci/2020-08-04-joint-communique-commun.aspx?lang=eng/.
[4] Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y Turismo (MINCETUR). (2024, May). ¡Hito histórico en APEC Perú 2024! Ministros de Comercio y de la Mujer de las 21 economías de APEC aprobaron una Declaración Conjunta. Gob.pe.
https://www.gob.pe/institucion/mincetur/noticias/956528-hito-historico-en-apec-peru-2024-ministros-de-comercio-y-de-la-mujer-de-las-21-economias-de-apec-aprobaron-una-declaracion-conjunta/.
[5] Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas para el Comercio y el Desarrollo (UNCTAD). Gestión Portuaria (Port Management). TrainforTrade. https://tft.unctad.org/thematic-areas/port-management/.
[6] Autoridad Portuaria Nacional. (2021, abril). Boletín N. 7 del Comité Técnico Consultivo (CTC) de Responsabilidad Social Corporativa, Equidad de Género y Empoderamiento de la Mujer. Gob.pe. https://www.gob.pe/institucion/apn/informes-publicaciones/1837934-boletin-n-7-del-comite-tecnico-consultivo-ctc-de-responsabilidad-social-corporativa-equidad-de-genero-y-empoderamiento-de-la-mujer/.
[7] Autoridad Portuaria Nacional del Perú (APN). (2023, julio). Boletín Portuario N. 144. “20 AÑOS DE DESARROLLO PORTUARIO EN EL PERÚ”. Gob.pe.
https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/5107614/BOLET%C3%8DN%20N%C2%B0%20144%20-%20JULIO%20Y%20AGOSTO%20DE%202023.pdf.pdf?v=1694211432/.
[8] Organismo Supervisor de la Inversión en Infraestructura de Transporte de Uso Público (OSITRÁN). (2023, noviembre). OSITRÁN reconoce a DP World Callao tras ganar Segundo Concurso de Igualdad de Género. Gob.pe.
https://www.gob.pe/institucion/ositran/noticias/862630-ositran-reconoce-a-dp-world-callao-tras-ganar-segundo-concurso-de-igualdad-de-genero/.



Article reference for citation:

GUTARRA RAMOS, Mariela, ESTEBAN GONZALES, Mónica and Marelly HUATUCO TORIBIO. “Gender Equity in Peruvian Port Management: Challenges and Opportunities”. PORTUS | Port-City Relationship and Urban Waterfront Redevelopment, 47 (June 2024). RETE Publisher, Venice. ISSN 2282-5789.
URL: https://portusonline.org/gender-equity-in-peruvian-port-management-challenges-and-opportunities/

GUTARRA RAMOS, Mariela, ESTEBAN GONZALES, Mónica and Marelly HUATUCO TORIBIO. “Equidad de género en la gestión portuaria peruana: desafíos y oportunidades”. PORTUS | Port-City Relationship and Urban Waterfront Redevelopment, 47 (June 2024). RETE Publisher, Venice. ISSN 2282-5789.
URL: https://portusonline.org/gender-equity-in-peruvian-port-management-challenges-and-opportunities/



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