IOPC Funds celebrates International Day for Women in Maritime

Photo credit: The International Maritime Organization

The IOPC Funds is proud to join the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the global maritime community in celebrating International Day for Women in Maritime, which was established by IMO and is observed on 18 May every year.  The day is dedicated to celebrating women in the industry and to promoting the recruitment, retention, and sustained employment of women in the maritime sector. It also aims to raise the profile of women in maritime and support work to address the current gender imbalance in maritime.

The theme for this year’s event is “An Ocean of Opportunities for Women”.  The IOPC Funds was delighted to attend a symposium under the same theme organised at the IMO headquarters in London on 16 May 2025.

The IOPC Funds is committed to gender equality and the empowerment of women.  The organisation is proud to have strong representation of women within the Secretariat, including at senior level, and it continues to work with Member States towards ensuring gender balance across the Secretariat and in the composition of the organisation’s governing and oversight bodies.  In addition, the IOPC Funds is very fortunate to work with a number of skilled, experienced and dynamic women in leading positions where incidents take place including in local Claims Submission Offices within Member States, responding to those impacted by major oil pollution incidents at sea.

May Valles is currently Head of the Claims Submission Office for the Terranova incident in the Philippines and has played a leading role in the local management of claims submission in the Princess Empress.  Her assistance is also invaluable in liaising with the authorities and other parties.

“I have been with the marine insurance industry for over 20 years now. Yes, being a woman in this industry makes it extra challenging. But I have reliable mentors and amazing colleagues and collaborators who inspired me to excel in this industry.

I am extremely proud to have played a significant role in coordinating the collection of claims and in offering support and guidance to those impacted by the Princess Empress and Terranova incidents. Working on an oil spill is daunting enough, let alone two!

It is my hope that more women are given significant roles, not only in this industry but in the community as well.”

The IOPC Funds continues to actively participate in the IMOGender programme, the mentorship scheme developed by IMO for female students of the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) and the World Maritime University (WMU), since 2022. Under this initiative, IOPC Funds’ Deputy Director and Head of Claims Department, Liliana Monsalve, and HNS Project Manager, Gillian Grant currently serve as mentors.