Towards gender-equitable small-scale fisheries

The document Towards gender-equitable small-scale fisheries governance and development: A handbook was developed based on a participatory process and following a series of regional consultations on the implementation of the SSF Guidelines during which a request for more information on how to address gender issues, in particular women's empowerment in small-scale fisheries emerged.

The handbook supports the implementation of the SSF Guidelines and their fundamental principles of gender equity and equality. The inclusion of these principles in an international instrument such as the SSF Guidelines represents a significant achievement towards women's empowerment. At the same time, it also represents an opportunity for governments to meet important goals related to social and economic equity and equality, environmental sustainability, and local food security, including relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It is hoped that the handbook will support gender-equitable small-scale fisheries by enhancing the understanding of their gender dimensions, with a focus on the specific role and conditions of women in the small-scale fisheries sector.

As part of the process for developing the handbook, an "Expert workshop on gender-equitable small-scale fisheries in the context of the implementation of the SSF Guidelines" was held. This workshop was organized by the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department with support from the Gender Team of the Economic and Social Development Department as well as from the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF). It was attended by 31 external participants representing governments, regional and international organizations, fishworker organizations, civil society organizations, Non-governmental Organizations, academia and other relevant actors. FAO SSF Task Force members and other FAO staff also participated in the workshop.

The workshop discussed gender issues in the SSF Guidelines, and reviewed a draft gender guidance document (hereafter the draft "Gender Manual") that had been shared earlier with participants. General and specific suggestions were made in terms of how to improve this draft Gender Manual and increase its relevance and usability for the target audience, namely policy-makers and civil society organizations. While the outcomes of the workshop focused on informing the finalization of the Manual, there were also discussions on how FAO and other actors could utilize the Gender Manual in the future.