Shoreham Port in the UK has won the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) Award 2025 for its outstanding commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace for women.
The accolade, which celebrates excellence in social integration initiatives across European ports, was presented by MEP Oihane Agirregoitia during a ceremony at the Hôtel des Douanes in Brussels, attended by around 200 guests.
Now in its 17th edition, the ESPO Award recognised Shoreham Port for its ‘Diversity & Inclusion Strategy’, a transformative programme launched in 2020 that has embedded inclusivity into every aspect of the organisation’s operations. Women now make up 50% of the executive team and 55% of the board, making Shoreham one of the most gender-balanced ports in Europe.
“It is a real honour for a port of our scale to benchmark with the inspirational diversity work taking place at some of Europe’s leading maritime hubs,” said Catherine May, board chair of Shoreham Port, as she accepted the award.
“Five years into our programme, we’ve delivered huge change for working women across our port and community, and this recognition will inspire us to be even bolder as we enter the second half of our 10-year plan.”
Other shortlisted ports included Helsinki (Finland), Rotterdam (The Netherlands), and Lisbon (Portugal), reflecting the growing momentum for gender equality and inclusion across the European port sector.
“The ESPO Award brought forward six very different projects from ports in six different countries trying to tackle the challenge of deep-seated gender imbalance in our industry,” said Eamonn O’Reilly, chair of the ESPO Award jury.
“Correcting gender imbalance, and breaking down diversity barriers, is not only in the best interest of ports – it is also the right thing to do.”
