DP World promotes women’s career advancement

In a bid to combat the underrepresentation of women in the historically male-dominated maritime sector, DP World implements a series of projects that aim to provide women with career advancement opportunities and promote their representation in upper management.

The company’s Mentorher programme links women with experienced mentors who can help them understand their prospects, as well as achieve professional and personal goals.

Francisca Becerra, Operation & Planning Supervisor

The programme, which is open to all female employees within the DP World network, has been completed by more than 1,000 female employees over the past five years, while more than 500 took part in the programme as mentors or mentees in 2023.

Recounting her experience, Francisca Becerra, Operation & Planning Supervisor at DP World Limassol and a graduate of DP World’s Mentor Her and Women Lead programmes, said she received valuable mentorship and support.

“Even today, I continue to benefit from the guidance of my mentor, who has helped me make important decisions like relocating to Cyprus and taking action on my ideas”.

Hailing from Chile, Francisca only just arrived in Cyprus after getting a great opportunity to work at the country’s biggest port. After working at DP World Lirquen in Chile for four years, she pursued an MBA in Spain and ended up relocating to Cyprus, as she wanted to put her new skills into practice, in a new environment.

While still adapting to the local business culture, Francisca says she enjoys the fact that people have been so friendly and welcoming. As for her experience working in a male-dominated industry, she says she was fortunate to have had supportive superiors and colleagues at DP World who encouraged her to have a voice.

“While it's not always easy, I've learned that taking baby steps, building trust, and having a strong support team are key to thriving in an industry like this one”, she stressed.

DP World has been making a positive contribution to society by focusing on women's leadership and empowerment over the past few years. The number of female employees throughout the company’s global network increased by 68% from 2021 to 2022, while the percentage of new female hires increased from 14% in 2021, to 21% in 2022.

Furthermore, DP World's "Women on Boards" initiative prepares women for executive positions, with the Group allocating 12 out of 33 board seats globally to women in 2022 – a 37.5% increase compared with 2021. In 2023, 14 more women joined the programme.

DP World Limassol’s CEO Simon Pitout, said the company is working hard to break down barriers and minimise the existing gender leadership gap in the maritime sector. “Our organisation remains committed to combatting the cultural challenges and misconceptions that still prevent women from pursuing maritime careers”, he pointed out.

“At DP World, we believe that investing in women’s empowerment is crucial to building a sustainable maritime industry. Although the number of women in our industry has increased over the past years, there is still long way to go, and our company is committed to further empowering women and increasing their representation in leadership positions through various well-defined initiatives and actions”.