Since its launch in 2019, the IMRF’s #WomenInSAR initiative has empowered women and girls around the world, giving them the confidence to join a traditionally male-dominated industry and enabling SAR organisations to develop their own skills, programmes and opportunities to ensure their operations are more accessible to women.

Today, more and more stories are coming out about how members of the IMRF community are taking the lessons they have learnt from the #WomenInSAR programme and starting their own initiatives to strengthen the capabilities and opportunities for women in their own local communities.

In the Caribbean, after joining the IMRF’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Seminar Workshop in Miami, Florida in 2025, a group of like-minded and determined members of the Caribbean SAR community decided the time was right to launch their own programme to support women in maritime SAR across the region.

“We had a vision to create something just for us. A platform that was dedicated to supporting and empowering women in SAR across the Caribbean islands. That vision led to what is now the Overseas Territory and West Indies Women in SAR programme,” said Sub-Lieutenant Ericka Rockett-McBean from the Cayman Island Coast Guard.

Ericka was instrumental in organising the inaugural Women in SAR Summit, the first programme of its kind for the Overseas Territories and the West Indies, supporting women working in SAR across the region.

In February, the group held its inaugural Women In SAR Summit. The event created an inclusive environment where both men and women could openly discuss challenges, share perspectives and propose meaningful solutions for their respective organisations.

“Although we are still in our early days, the summit represented a significant achievement. It brought together individuals who are deeply committed to advancing equality and strengthening the role of women in maritime and SAR operations, and gave them a platform that they might not have had,” Ericka noted.

Meanwhile, following on the IMRF’s #WomenInSAR training experience in Finland in 2024, a similar initiative was founded in New Zealand, more than 16,000 km away after one of the participants realised its huge potential to inspire other women who could benefit from a similar experience.

“The experience in Finland was eye-opening: the lessons, the shared experiences, and connecting with women from around the world made me realise we are not alone in facing barriers in the maritime industry,” said Sarah Psaila from Coastguard New Zealand.

“I felt inspired to create that same sense of belonging, confidence, and connection for other women. With the right timing, support, and collaboration, we were able to develop WomenInSAR in New Zealand, which is designed to give women a space to grow, just as I had,” she added.

After attending the IMRF’s #WomenInSAR training experience in Finland, Sarah felt inspired to develop WomenInSAR in New Zealand. 

Since its launch, the WomenInSAR in New Zealand has now run three weekend training programmes that has welcomed dozens of women with a wide range of experience, providing them with a platform to connect, share experiences and grow. According to Sarah, one of these sessions has already given women in New Zealand the next step in their maritime SAR career. “One participant had been with Coastguard for more than 25 years but just six weeks after joining one of our training sessions, she moved up a level and is now seriously considering becoming a Master/Skipper. Another participant, meanwhile, achieved her own Master/Skipper qualification just six months after the programme,” she noted. 

Despite the vast distance between both initiatives, both have faced similar challenges when it comes to engagement and creating that sense of belonging for women who might have been cautious about engaging with maritime SAR.

“Women in maritime across the Caribbean have often faced skepticism so building the foundation of our programme is always going to be a challenge. However, we strongly believe that our work will bring tangible results, create real opportunities and produce meaningful opportunities for women. We have already established a scholarship in partnership with the Caribbean Maritime University to offer more educational and professional pathways for women. We want to bridge the gaps and connect more women to those opportunities,” said Ericka.

“In New Zealand, we wanted to create a safe and supportive space where women could be authentic and open about their experiences. Hearing the diversity of journeys within the group helped them open up, be vulnerable, and quickly build trust and confidence with one another,” said Sarah.

“We learnt a huge amount from the IMRF’s #WomenInSAR programme in Finland but we wanted to make sure our initiative reflected the challenges in the waters of New Zealand. We adapted activities, scenarios and discussions to reflect our local teams, communities and operational environment. This made the programme relevant, practical and achievable for everyone,” she added.

Programmes like these in the Caribbean and New Zealand show how the IMRF’s initiative to empower women in SAR can lead to more local and dedicated programmes that are just as vital for the development of local crews and SAR organisations as a whole.

The actions taken by Ericka and Sarah, as well as their wider teams and networks, are inspiring messages of how women are working together to build their confidence, open up doors and bridge gaps that still remain to this day. Yet they both acknowledge that there is still much to do.

“You don’t have to do it alone. Start by looking for small opportunities where you can make a difference, build relationships, and quietly advocate for change. Listen to the people you’re trying to support, understand their challenges, celebrate their strengths, and create spaces where they feel safe to grow. These initiatives build networks, lift others and help shift culture over time” said Sarah.

“If you identify challenges within your profession, especially as women in maritime and SAR, it is important not only to highlight those challenges but to propose solutions. Solutions are what move conversations into decision-making spaces and ultimately create progress. Together, we are building something meaningful, something that will create lasting opportunities and positive change for women in SAR,” said Ericka.

Click here to find out more about the IMRF's #WomenInSAR initiative, including information about our upcoming events and mentoring programmes.