From the Atlantic to the Pacific: Mulheres a Bordo crosses Panama and visits major port operation

After visiting port operations on the Atlantic coast in the morning, the Missão Internacional Mulheres a Bordo, organized by Grupo Tribuna, crossed the country toward the other end of the Canal do Panamá. After traveling approximately 80 kilometers, the delegation arrived at Porto de Balboa, located at the Pacific Ocean entrance to the waterway.

The terminal plays a strategic role in container transshipment between vessels and in connecting cargo to other modes of transportation. The facility has an annual handling capacity of up to 5 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units, the standard unit based on a 20-foot container) and is equipped with 25 ship-to-shore (STS) container cranes.

During the visit, participants toured one of the berths and the container yards, as well as observed APM Terminals operations. The company has a global presence and operates 63 port terminals across 35 countries.

Visiting terminals on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts on the same day allowed the group to compare infrastructure and gain first-hand insight into the scale of port operations in a country whose logistics sector is directly linked to the operation of the canal.

According to Cristina Wadner, an attorney specializing in Maritime, Port and Customs Law, Wednesday’s (19) schedule also combined technical knowledge of port operations with the exchange of experiences among women working in the sector.

“It was a unique experience to see these port operations first-hand. In addition to learning about the operations, we had a very valuable exchange with women who already hold strategic and leadership positions within the terminals,” she said.

Cláudia Borges, executive director of Associação Brasileira dos Terminais Portuários (ABTP), emphasized the importance of increasing the visibility of women working across different areas of the port industry.

“The Mulheres a Bordo project has been instrumental in giving visibility to women, whether they are leaders or women working in port yards. It is a very important movement to shine a light on and increase the visibility of women in the sector,” she said.

“The Mulheres a Bordo project has been instrumental in giving visibility to women, whether they are in leadership positions or working in port yards. It is a very important movement to shine a light on and increase the visibility of women in the sector,” says Cláudia Borges, executive director of Associação Brasileira dos Terminais Portuários (ABTP). “It was a unique experience to see these port operations first-hand. In addition to learning about the operations, we had a very valuable exchange with women who already hold strategic and leadership positions within the terminals,” says Cristina Wadner, an attorney specializing in Maritime, Port and Customs Law. (Luciana Moledas/TV Tribuna)

Representation

Wednesday’s (19) schedule marked the conclusion of the technical visits of the Missão Internacional Mulheres a Bordo in Panama. Throughout the program, participants explored different links in the country’s maritime and port sectors, observed operations and exchanged experiences with professionals holding leadership positions in the industry.

The visits to the terminals also reinforced one of the project’s main pillars: bringing together women from different fields and professional backgrounds and encouraging the exchange of knowledge and experiences within an industry that is still predominantly male.

For Camila Guerra de Oliveira, commercial executive at Deme Group Brasil, being part of a delegation made up of women connected to the port sector gave the experience a special significance.

“Seeing empowered women holding leadership positions and making decisions shows the strength we have. It has been an incredible experience, and I hope this movement continues to grow and can be held every year, because we have so much to exchange and share.”