FAO.org

Gender is important because men and women often perform different tasks within fish value chains, and have different assets, skills, experience, knowledge and decision-making roles. However, the invisibility of women’s roles in official fisheries and aquaculture statistics, coupled with the negative impacts of gender-blind policies, leave women facing discrimination and marginalization within the sector. Modern small-scale fisheries using improved technologies (such as motor engines, modern navigation and communication equipment, and processing and cold storage facilities) and meeting international food safety standards can produce high-quality, high-value products for export markets. Attention needs to be given to equal access to productivity-enhancing innovations that improve the overall productivity and quality of products.

In terms of investment, the cold chain, including transport, offers business opportunities for both women and men. Transport often provides the vital link between production and market. Non gender bias policies and implementation processes are required to give equal access to productive inputs such as transport, credit, skills and knowledge, and market access so that both men and women are able to perform optimally in terms of producing and selling quality, food safe products and minimize food loss and waste (FLW).