As we look ahead to the coming months, the Leading Women for the Ocean (LWO) network is preparing to engage in a series of pivotal global events that will shape the future of ocean governance and the blue economy. These gatherings offer unique opportunities for women leaders to assert their influence, advocate for gender-inclusive policies, [...]
The 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity will be hosted by Armenia next year.“There's a lot of unfinished work following COP16 2.0 in order to affect change, and it's important that all voices are included in next year's negotiations.” Listen to the "EVN Talks" Podcast: https://evnreport.com/podcasts/evn-talks/ahead-of-cop17-a-to-do-list/ [...]
The Mediterranean Sea, although relatively small in size compared to the oceans, and especially the Eastern Mediterranean, is an area of intense scientific and geopolitical activity and accordingly hosts a particularly active fleet of research vessels from various countries. This is due to its geopolitical dimension including energy resources, the presence of seismic faults and [...]
Aspasia Pastra, Assistant Professor at the World Maritime University-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute and member of LWO-along with Tafsir Matin Johansson, Frank Muller-Karger and Joana Soares - published an outstanding academic article titled 'The use of emerging autonomous technologies for ocean monitoring: insights and legal challenges' which has been published in Frontiers in Marine Science: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1561737/full [...]
The event took place in New York, marking another milestone: the30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. March, the month associated with International Women's Day, is coming to an end, and we have heard little or nothing about the big annual meeting at the United Nations. Specifically, on March 26, 2025, in [...]
The joint meeting of the Special Standing Committee on Environmental Protection and the Special Standing Committee on Equality, Youth and Human Rights, chaired by the President of the Special Standing Committee on Environmental Protection, Dr. Dionysia - Theodora Avgerinopoulou underlined the crucial role of women in environmental policy and administration, as well as the challenges [...]
The EU policy framework surrounding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria and sustainability reporting has evolved significantly, reflecting a growing understanding of the interconnectedness between business operations and broader societal and environmental issues. With the launch of the GRI to remain a milestone, key components of this framework include the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD), which [...]
On March 5, 2025, Leading Women for the Ocean (LWO) member Phoebe Koundouri, moderated an inspiring panel discussion at the Finnish-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce. The Workshop, organized in collaboration with the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen and the Embassy of Finland in Greece, brought together business and policy leaders to explore women's leadership and entrepreneurship in [...]
On December 19, 2024, Maria Damanaki, , co-founder of Leading Women for the Ocean, delivered an impactful presentation during the event “Greece and Climate Crisis: Consequences and Human Apathy” organized by DIKTIO – Network for Reform in Greece and Europe. Held at the B&M Theocharakis Visual Arts & Music Foundation, the event highlighted both the [...]
On December 2, 2024, the conference "Marine Protected Areas in Greece: Opportunities and Challenges Towards Achieving the EU 30x30 Target" took place at the European Parliament Liaison Office in Greece. Co-organized by WWF Greece and Greenpeace, with the support of the European Parliament, the event gathered over 100 participants, including government representatives, environmental organisations, scientific [...]
