At the tenth Liaison Officers Meeting of the Programme for the Integrated Development of Artisanal Fisheries in West Africa (IDAF) in Lome, Togo, gender issues in artisanal fisheries in West Africa were featured, and useful recommendations on follow up activities were made. These activities include the collection of information on women's activities in artisanal fisheries. Although women's participation in fishing and fishing-related activities is widely recognized, women's work is often associated with family support only. Men are still regarded as '`breadwinners", while women are their "helpers", or generally referred to as partners of men in supporting families. In this respect, women's contributions in terms of labour or money are easily regarded as non-economic, and thus relegated to the reproductive realm. Consequently, apart from their contribution in terms of family support, little is known about women's role in the wider economy, and their contribution in accumulating wealth.
In order to subscribe to fulfilling this gap in the artisanal fisheries subsector, the Programme for the Integrated Development of Artisanal Fisheries in West Africa (IDAF) planned and implemented a study on costs and earnings, and expenditure structures of fisherwomen, fish processors and fish traders. This report gives the results of the study conducted in Ogheye, Delta State, Nigeria.
The objective of the study was two-fold First, to develop and implement cheap and viable research methods to study costs, earnings, and expenditure structures of women involved in the artisanal fisheries subsector. Second, to collect information on the following issues:
• investment costs and sources of fund
• operational costs and sources of funds
• income
• profitability of activities
• social obligations and the structure of expenses
• marketing channels
• the role and structure of socio-professional organizations
After this brief introduction and the methodology discussed in Chapter Two, Chapter Three describes living and working conditions of women in Ogheye. Both household characteristics and fishing and fishing-related activities are received. In describing the latter, a distinction is made between three combinations of activities, (a) fishing-processing-marketing. (b) fishing-marketing, and (c) processing-marketing. In each of these combinations different fishing methods and/or species have been taken into account. Chapter Four presents the mainly quantitative results on costs and earnings of the women, including investment costs, variable costs, fish prices, sales, net revenues, and profitability of their activities. After discussing the composition of their income, Chapter Five gives insight in their expenditure pattern and the way they use the money that is at their disposal. A distinction is made between household expenditure, financing and investing in other people's activities, and savings and contributions. The section on savings and contributions also covers the structure and functions of socio-professional organizations. Finally, Chapter Six presents the conclusions.
