WiLAT from the beginning
In 2010, Aisha Ibrahim from Nigeria initiated the idea of a CILT women group in logistics and transport during the CILT International Conference in Malta. The event is an annual meeting of the Institute attended by representatives from different Territories.
There were five ladies gathered to talk about women in logistics and transport in CILT at the Poolside Terrace of Palace Hotel in Malta. Among them are Aisha from Nigeria, Naa from Ghana, Claire from Malta, Dorothy Chan from Hong Kong and Jo Brosnahan from New Zealand. These ladies who are Fellow and Chartered members of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport came together on a common course to promote female participation in the Institute and they wrote down their names and contacts after the meeting.
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Following a presentation by Aisha Ibrahim in the 2012 CILT International Conference in Birmingham, Alan Waller, CILT President 2011-12 supported the formation of Women in Logistics and Transport in CILT Territories and with much preparation including the development of WiLAT logo, brand guidelines and membership structure by Dorothy Chan and volunteers in Hong Kong, WiLAT was formally launched by CILT in Sri Lanka in 2013 and Aisha Ibrahim became WiLAT Global Convenor. Namalie Siyambalapitiya and Gayani de Alwis co-ordinated the Global launching and Saliya Senanayake, International Vice President also assumed the role of advising the Global Convenor on the development of WiLAT. Vicky Koo became the Deputy Global Chairperson in 2016 and created the WiLAT website. From Nigeria spreading to 22 Territories today, our female leaders in these Territories have devoted their time and efforts selflessly and by 2020, WiLAT had over 3,000 members.
We have captured our formation and key milestones in ‘WE INSPIRE, WE IMPACT’, a publication of WiLAT in 2017. See our brochure below.
