IMO Names Yu Jiajia 2027 Gender Equality Award Winner
The International Maritime Organization Council selected China's Yu Jiajia for its 2027 Gender Equality Award, with Gemma Griffin receiving a Letter of Commendation.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Women’s Issues
The IMO Council has chosen Yu Jiajia, nominated by China, for the 2027 IMO Gender Equality Award. The Council also awarded a Letter of Commendation to Gemma Griffin, nominated by Denmark.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights efforts to advance women in maritime training and seafaring careers, a field where female participation has historically been limited. It signals international attention to gender equality within the shipping and maritime education sector.
Yu Jiajia's record includes more than 100 one-to-one career mentoring sessions for female students and more than 1,000 women trained as seagoing training instructors aboard MV Yu Kun. The source does not report how these figures compare with other nominees or prior award cycles.
The players
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The IMO is a United Nations specialized agency responsible for regulating international shipping safety, security, and environmental performance, and it runs the Gender Equality Award.
Yu Jiajia
Yu Jiajia is a maritime educator at Dalian Maritime University in China who was nominated by China for the IMO award.
Gemma Griffin
Gemma Griffin is Vice President and Head of Global Crewing at DFDS, a Danish shipping and logistics company, who was nominated by Denmark.
The details
Yu Jiajia has contributed to more than 10 teaching reform initiatives at Dalian Maritime University, co-authored more than 10 professional textbooks, and participated in over 30 maritime education research projects. She integrates research outcomes into teaching to keep students current on navigation technology and encourages female cadets to take active roles in bridge operations, life-saving, and firefighting exercises.
Timeline
Yu Jiajia will receive the IMO Gender Equality Award in May 2027 at the International Day for Women in Maritime.
Big Picture
The award is presented during the IMO's International Day for Women in Maritime, extending the organization's ongoing effort to recognize women's contributions to seafaring and maritime education. It places individual achievement within a longer institutional push to broaden female participation in a historically male-dominated industry.
The award recognizes training and mentorship programs that are open to female students and seafarers pursuing maritime careers. Readers interested in these pathways can look to institutions such as Dalian Maritime University for admissions and training opportunities.
The takeaway
Recognition of individual mentors and instructors can help bring more women into seafaring careers that have long lacked gender balance. Students and professionals interested in maritime work can seek out mentorship programs and structured training pathways to build practical experience.
What happens next
Yu Jiajia is scheduled to receive her IMO Gender Equality Award in May 2027 at the International Day for Women in Maritime.
Further reading
Explore more on Women's Issues coverage of gender equality efforts across industries.
