On March 2023, I attended an online discussion organized by the United Nations for International Women’s Day. There, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres shocked us by saying that it would take around 300 years to achieve gender equality. That’s how long it was estimated. This information truly shocked me. Having worked for many years on empowering women’s presence in public life, I believed we had made significant progress and were getting closer to our goal. I was brought back to reality and started thinking about whether there was something we could do on the matter.

At that time, the “Leading Women for the Ocean” network had just taken shape — a global initiative launched by women and friends leaders from around the world. We began with Akie Abe from Japan, but quickly expanded to many countries, aiming to exchange experiences and find solutions for enhancing women’s participation in decision-making centers. The main goal of LWO is to strengthen women’s participation in critical international negotiations, including issues such as climate change, ocean protection, overfishing, illegal and unreported fishing, and marine pollution.

I discussed the issue with my friend and fellow LWO member, Asunção Cristas, former Minister of Maritime Affairs in Portugal. We had met when I was a European Commissioner in Brussels. We met again in Lisbon. We are both professors at NOVA University of Portugal, at the Law School, where we teach the course on maritime policy.

We realized that the problem stemmed from the lack of sufficient and reliable data and information about the current situation of women in critical sectors. And since we both love the sea, we decided to focus on this area. In other words, to see what we could do to gain a clearer picture of the lives of women working in the blue economy. We found an ally in the Dean of the Faculty, Margarida Lima Rego. Fortunately, Oceans5, with whom I collaborate, also helped. They provided the financial support to move forward with conducting this study. The working group, with the participation of other professors and researchers, was quickly assembled. And so our journey began.

We chose three countries, completely different from each other, to obtain a better comparative picture: Japan, Portugal, and Cape Verde in Africa. Japan and Portugal are developed countries; Cape Verde is a developing country, but with a very strong focus on the marine blue economy. We didn’t have the resources to conduct a comprehensive study of all sectors of the maritime economy. We decided to concentrate on two areas: fisheries and seafaring. We chose these two traditional activities where we had the relevant contacts and the ability to study them.

From the outset, we had three main objectives: The first was to amplify the voices of women in maritime communities who face specific challenges and often hesitate to express them. We wanted to empower their voices so they could finally be heard loud and clear. The second was to record and analyze these women’s experiences with the aim of clarifying the concept of female leadership and success — to understand what is happening and what we would like to see happen. And finally, we wanted to develop a realistic roadmap for women’s participation in a model of humanitarian leadership. A guide with specific, actionable policy recommendations for governments and local communities, so we can move forward step by step.

We wanted all this to be part of a pragmatic action framework. We may all have had many dreams and visions, but we knew well that what is needed is decisive action with realistic proposals to accelerate progress.


The study lasted several months. Beyond the quality of the final report — which, of course, will be judged by those who read it — I must say this was an exceptional experience, full of meetings with remarkable women, strong and weak voices, and landscapes of unparalleled beauty. It was an adventure — a sea adventure.

Our report reveals both pleasant and unpleasant truths. But above all, it constitutes a clear call to action: to support the women shaping our maritime economy. To rely on scientific knowledge but also to transform it into policy change — into concrete proposals that will shift the political framework of work, life, and daily reality. I believe this is the most urgent need today.

Here are some of our recommendations: First, document the current state of women’s representation. Analyze their contribution to the relevant sectors.
Develop a data platform with open-access capabilities. Establish and implement policies and legislation to strengthen women’s participation.
And finally, design transformative action plans across all sectors — public and private — with clear timelines, financial resources, and defined performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor progress.

Now that this sea adventure is coming to an end, we are happy and fulfilled. We believe that in this way we will truly contribute to improving the difficult reality of women’s maritime labor and life through positive measures that will make their lives — and ours — easier.

I want to emphasize that the success of such a program is not only about women. Women leaders have much to offer. They possess significant skills and enhance diversity, which is a recognized factor for success. They are known for meeting deadlines, building partnerships, and cultivating an inclusive working environment. Therefore, the promotion of women to leadership positions is not merely a matter of equality, but a strategic choice with broader social and economic benefits. And this, of course, is increasingly recognized today by businesses and the private sector through their own accountability reports. That’s why they strive to achieve gender diversity in their leadership bodies.

I don’t know when we will achieve the kind of women’s leadership we aspire to. But we do know that whenever it happens, it will benefit not only women but also men — and above all, future generations.

So, this journey had a happy end. With our study, we will bring change closer and make life easier for all of us.

Women in the Blue Economy Full Report

Women in the Blue Economy Executive Summary