Genoa celebrates the women of Liguria's blue economy: the third leg of "Women on the Command Bridge" will take place at the Genoa Boat Show.

Genoa, 22 September 2025 – This morning it went on stage The third meeting of the "Women on the Command Bridge" project, a regional initiative created in collaboration with Wista Italy, celebrates and promotes the presence of women in the blue economy, one of Liguria's main economic drivers.

The project, which has already seen two important stages on March 8th in the Sala Trasparenza of the Liguria Region and on May 19th at the Festival delle Regioni in Venice, has chosen the Genoa Boat Show as the setting for this new event, where the The protagonists were the Ligurian entrepreneurs and professionals who were able to establish themselves in the maritime world.

The conference, moderated by Lucia Nappi, saw the participation of prominent figures such as Marina Stella, Sonia Sandei, Barbara Pozzolo, Carolina Villa, Monica Zanardi, and the regional councilor for equal opportunities, Simona Ferro.

“This event is not just a'an opportunity to celebrate the successes of many women who today occupy leadership roles in the maritime and nautical sector, but also a moment of reflection on how much still needs to be done to achieve full gender equality – declares Councilor Ferro -. Our goal is to build an ecosystem that fosters gender equality and innovation, making Liguria a hub for a sustainable and inclusive blue economy."

During the conference significant data were analyzed: 22,4% of Italian Blue Economy companies are run by women, with a growth of 7,5% between the 2019 and the 2023. However, female leadership on board ships and in port enterprises remains low, with only 2% of shipboard positions held by women.

“It is essential that the female contribution continues to grow, to ensure the success and competitiveness of our territory – he concludes Councilor Ferro. - The initiative will continue at the Orientamenti Festival in November, where successful women of the Blue Economy will meet students, also offering updated data that highlights a slight improvement compared to those we have analyzed today. Liguria has the potential to become a model for a modern and inclusive blue economy.