International Women's Day was established by the United Nations (UN) in 1975, with the aim of remembering the social, political and economic achievements of women and encouraging all citizens to defend their rights and gender equality. The choice of March 8 is related to the women's movement of the early 20th century, which demanded better working and living conditions.

150 years ago, women could not vote, divorce, be elected MPs, have assets in their name, have access to education, medical care or legal support, or even wear certain clothes. The change did not take place in a snap, but was the result of the courageous and concerted effort of many men and women.

Gender equality means that, regardless of gender, all citizens are guaranteed the same rights and access to the same opportunities. The commemoration of International Women's Day highlights the importance of women in society and the history of the struggle for their rights. Gender equality is not just a women's issue. It is not a movement against men or for female supremacy, as many would have you believe. It is a struggle for parity and equality of opportunity in access to health care, work and participation in political life, and against gender-based violence.

This year, International Women's Day is celebrated by the UN under the motto “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.” In our country today, despite the effects of the last two years of the pandemic and the consequences that a war in Europe can have, we are lucky to live in a time and place where opportunities are abundant: we have access to education and health care. and we are entitled to a job and freedom of expression. But we still have some work to do until we reach gender equality. Female representation in the maritime economic sector is still low, although there are more and more women playing more active roles.

This year we celebrate 10 years of DGRM's existence, precisely under the motto “10 years at the service of the Sustainable Blue Economy”. More than 50% of DGRM workers are women, who occupy 20 of the 33 leadership positions. The diversity they bring to the workplace and the commitment with which they dedicate themselves to their duties deserve to be celebrated. Therefore, DGRM joins the United Nations initiative, in the certainty that women are essential to drive and lead changes for equality in the workplace. To learn more see: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/in-focus/2022/03/in-focus-international-womens-day