By the time I got back from the conference, I had agreed to host and organise the next annual conference, in Italy in 1995. This was in late 1994, five years ago. Worldwide membership, meanwhile, is currently at about thirty countries. In shipping, it is definitely not a war between the sexes, which is an outdated topic. The opposite sex is an ally, not an enemy.
Women have enough battles to fight without taking on the male species as well.
There were international elections, and let me tell you there were not too many candidates for the post. I was initially nominated as the Italian candidate. I knew a little bit, but not everything, about what would be involved in becoming president. After some debate, I agreed to take on the job. The organisation has grown a lot in the last three years because we have found better ways to become better-known worldwide.