Maritime Women’s Group to Honor Former Fisheries Chief, Open Doors for Young Women at Sea

Published: May 15, 2026

MONROVIA — A regional organization promoting women’s participation in the maritime industry will gather graduating high school students, university department heads and experienced maritime professionals at Monrovia City Hall on May 18 to mark the International Day for Women in Maritime, with the group’s own founder and former National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority Director General Madam Emma Metieh Glassco named as a special guest of honor.

The Women in Maritime for West and Central Africa, WIMOWCA, Liberia Chapter, extended the invitation to Glassco in a May 12 letter signed by chapter President Mrs. Olivia Faith Tah-Johnson, citing Glassco’s founding role in establishing the organization and her decades of influence in Liberia’s fisheries and maritime sector as central reasons for the recognition. The celebration is scheduled for 10:45 a.m. at Monrovia City Hall on Capitol Hill.

The day’s programming extends beyond the formal ceremony. On Friday, May 15, the chapter will host a career awareness and mentorship workshop bringing together graduating senior students from 32 high schools across Montserrado County alongside department heads from universities offering maritime-related courses. The workshop is designed to expose young women to professional opportunities in the marine sector and equip them with practical guidance on how to identify and pursue careers in the global maritime industry.

The program will feature lecture series from university professors and experienced maritime professionals, interactive discussions and mentorship sessions led by senior women in the field. The event will close with a guided tour of port facilities at the Freeport of Monrovia, giving participants direct exposure to the working environment of one of West Africa’s busiest ports.

Tah-Johnson, in her letter to Glassco, also invited the founder and former director general to participate in the mentorship workshop, where she said Glassco would have the opportunity to inspire young female students as a seasoned maritime professional. “Noting the significance of the role you have played within the Fisheries and Maritime Industry, founding President of WIMAFRICA Liberia Chapter and the successful impact you have made, we will also be glad if you could join us for the career awareness and mentorship program,” Tah-Johnson wrote.

The International Day for Women in Maritime is observed annually to promote the inclusion of women across all levels of the maritime industry, a sector that remains heavily male-dominated globally. WIMOWCA’s Liberia Chapter has been among the more active voices on the continent pushing for greater female representation in seafaring, port operations, maritime law and fisheries management.