Women in Fisheries as Agents of Change to Reduce FLW
Women in fisheries need to be seen and acknowledged, gain equal rights and equal access to credit and technology, and have equal say in decision-making and policy processes.
As awareness of gender issues in international and national arenas grows, policy-makers in fisheries and aquaculture are becoming more gender-sensitive and are beginning to address gender issues in the fisheries sector. Historically, the policy agenda has given priority to fish production or fish farming activities, of which men generally predominate, often glancing over secondary sector processing and marketing activities where women tend to play a large role. It is increasingly clear, however, that gender is a defining factor in the social and economic context that shapes how food value chains function. Gender norms influence roles and responsibilities of women and men and the division of labour and affect disparities in access to resources, credit, technology, training and knowledge. Gender norms therefore heavily impact the overall efficiency of the food value chain, including food loss and waste.
An estimated 59.51 million people were engaged in the primary sector of fisheries and aquaculture in 2018. Most of those engaged in fishing and fish farming are located in developing countries, with the majority being small-scale, artisanal fisheries and aquaculture workers. This includes various types of employment, including full-time, seasonal, and temporary engagements. Although women accounted for just 14 percent of this workforce, many authors and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) report that this number rises to one out of every two workers being a woman when considering both the primary and secondary fisheries and aquaculture sectors. Gender studies have shown that women are often assigned to unstable, poorly paid or unpaid positions within the secondary sector that often go unrecognized.