… a truly positive impression

President José Raúl Mulino paid his first official visit to Manzanillo’s international terminal in July (2025) and was immediately impressed by the performance of women operating the various systems that has made SSA Marine MIT one of the Caribbean’s leading port systems.

Sworn in as President of the Republic of Panama on 1 July 2024, the Panamanian leader did not mince words in expressing his impressions.

“I’m impressed by SSA Marine MIT, its size, its workforce, which is entirely from Colón. It’s a port that also operates automated cranes and I had the chance to see several Panamanian women operating the equipment.”

President Mulino was in the province of Colón to attend a Logistics Cabinet meeting involving ministers and directors of government entities. He expressed keen interest in visiting the SSA Marine MIT terminal at the end of the Cabinet meeting and was welcomed by SSA Marine MIT managers just after noon on Wednesday, July 16th. With a degree in maritime law from Tulane University of Louisiana, the Panama President had more than a passing interest in the systems and management processes at SSA MARINE MIT.

“This visit to SSA Marine MIT, left a truly positive impression on me. It had been years since I last visited, and the growth is remarkable. Young women from Colón are now operating the new electric crane system through screens. It’s incredible, one of the women I met has been working at the port for 16 years and today she is in charge of some of the most advanced cranes in the world,” he said at the end of his visit.

NOTEWORTHY

President Molina was clearly impressed by the systems and technologies that make SSA MARINE MIT a ‘world standard’ organization. However, as he intimated in his observations, he was just as impressed with the philosophical managerial practices which allowed SSA MARINE MIT to employ, develop and retain women in its work force.

His observations in this regard are noteworthy because, for centuries, women have been denied access and professional opportunities in maritime industries. SSA MARINE MIT has begun the process of addressing gender equality in its operations and the newly installed President of Panama recognised this in his first official visit to the terminal.

Presently, women comprise 18% of SSA Marine MIT’s 1,100 work force and in this group, 68 women perform tasks and occupy positions that drive terminal operations. This includes women gantry crane operators, mechanics, automatic stacking crane controllers, security and safety officers, maintenance technicians, line coordinators, vessel planners and yard control specialists. SSA Marine MIT currently has seven women operating ship-to-shore cranes, all of whom have successfully completed extensive rigorous training to achieve global standards. In addition, women perform a plethora of administrative and management functions in all SSA Marine MIT’s operational departments.

PIVOTAL

Larissa Barrios, Business Development Manager at SSA Marine MIT observed that, in functions that require high legal and ethical standards, the presence of women has been pivotal.

“SSA Marine MIT faces continuous challenges to keep the security measures of the cargo handled at the port. But the high value standards of women in positions such as protection officers, operations planning, and gate clerks support the company in achieving its objectives,” she said.

Indeed, President Mulino’s keen observation during his relatively short visit was testimony to SSA Marine MIT’s commitment to gender equality in the workplace. It is that commitment that drives its programme for providing facilities for sustaining women in the SSA Marine MIT workforce. For example, in 2018, SSA Marine MIT established a lactation room for the convenience of mothers on staff who are breastfeeding. As Larissa Barrios explained in a discussion with Portside Caribbean (in 2024), the lactation room is an invaluable resource.

“It not only supports mothers in their breastfeeding journey but also fosters a supportive and inclusive work environment. By facilitating continued breastfeeding through the provision of a comfortable and private space, employees can nurture their infants with the numerous health benefits that breast milk provides, including enhanced immune protection, optimal nutrition, and strengthened maternal-infant bonding. This initiative underscores the company’s commitment to promoting the holistic health and welfare of its employees and their families,” she explained.

President Mulino was impressed with his visit to SSA Marine MIT and so he should. In the context of human development and gender equality, SSA Marine MIT is a trendsetter. []

FIRST PUBLISHED:  September 1, 2025

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