Gender shapes the differential identities of women and men, their norms, roles and responsibilities. It influences people’s (unequal) access to resources and decision making. It influences people’s agency.
Fisheries is generally considered a male domain. Women’s roles in fisheries—along the whole value chain, in sustaining the fishing families and community, in protecting natural resources and local food security—are often glossed over and remain invisible. In the fisheries sector, women face persistent gender-based discrimination and marginalization, differentially defined by the diverse social context.
Women are overrepresented in vulnerable categories of employment in fisheries. They generally lack tenure security; access to productive assets and market opportunities; decent work conditions; and they have limited access to services like healthcare, child care, credits, insurance, legal aid and capacity building. They are exposed to sexual violence, prejudices and other forms of harassment. Each and every crisis impacts them disproportionately.
Women are poorly represented in fisheries’ associations, cooperatives and unions. They rarely have a say in the decisions that govern their fisheries and other matters that affect their life and livelihood. Mainstream policies and programmes remain gender-blind or biased. Lack of data undermines women’s role in fisheries.
For ICSF, since its inception in 1986, valorizing and strengthening women’s roles in fisheries and within organizations has always been a priority. For this it has undertaken research, training, advocacy and publication of the Gender in Fisheries Newsletter Yemaya. ICSF played a pioneering role in this. Its ‘Women in Fisheries’ work has been highlighting the patriarchal practices in fisheries and how these directly relate to the unsustainable exploitation of nature, to poverty and to food insecurity. It has questioned the nature of fisheries development itself, highlighting a ‘feminist perspective’ for an alternative that is in harmony with the ecosystem and respects life and livelihoods and the human rights of all people. For more information read ICSF’s Gender Policy
Special Session 7: Shared Experiences of Women in Fisheries
The 25 Minute film (compiled by ICSF) shows a change that has occurred over a decade in different countries across the world — truthful appreciation of women’s role in fisheries. Despite differences in society, culture, politics and economics, their involvement in the sector follows a similar arc the world over. The film is an effort to understand and identify the main factors over the past decade that have shaped their role, both positively and negatively. It highlights invisible voices from the South Pacific Islands, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Caribbean region during GAF 8 at Kochi. For more: https://www.gafconference.org//
Asia Workshop: IYAFA 2022-Celebrating Sustainable and Equitable Small-scale Fisheries Need for gender equality in fisheries
Women play a large role in fisheries, but often their roles and contributions are invisible or not recognized. Women do fish (both on boats and without boats), sort fish, sell fish, process fish and cook fish for home consumptions. However, often women are not seen as “real” fishers and are excluded from fisheries organizations, do not have/ have less access than men to resources such as technology, loans, insurance and information. Women have responsibilities for household work and childcare that limits what they can do in fisheries. They often have less decision making power in the household and society. Some people might feel that women are not discriminated against, but the problem is that they are not even “discriminated”, since they are not even recognized as fishers and only seen as carrying out their duties to support the family... For more: https://www.icsf.net/resources/asia-workshop-iyafa-2022-celebrating-sustainable-and-equitable-small-scale-fisheries/
The issue of the invisibility and lack of recognition of women’s role in fisheries and aquaculture is a world wide phenomenon. ICSF has been working on valorising and seeking recognition...
This report provides a baseline analysis of women’s economic empowerment in the fisheries sector in the blue economy of the Indian Ocean rim region. The report focuses on the 22...
The 8th Global Symposium on Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries, GAF8 Organized by the Society of Fisheries Technologists (SOFTI) & the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology Special Session 7: :...
The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) Trust organized a national workshop on the SSF Guidelines and Women in Fisheries, India at Asha Nivas Social Service Centre, Chennai, India,...
Report of the Brainstorming Session for the National Workshop on Enhancing Capacities of Women Fishworkers in India for the Implementation of the SSF Guidelines, Ashir Bhawan, Ernakulam, Kerala, 15‐16 May,...
A national workshop was organised to mainstream gender into the fisheries policies and legislation in India, to implement the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of...
The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) Trust organised a national workshop on ‘Enhancing capacities of women fishworkers in India for the implementation of the SSF Guidelines’ in Chennai,...
This study was conducted in June and July 2016, in the fishing areas of Mwanza and Kagera regions in the lake Victoria side of Tanzania. The focus of this study...
The workshop was conducted in Konkani, the language of Goa. The programme commenced with a lively song on the fish of Goa sung by Perpet Cardoz, from the fishing community...
This case study seeks to understand and highlight how the changes that have taken place in the fishery of Kerala State have also played out in the lives of women...
Statement on Agenda Item 8: Progress on the Preparation of Targets and Updating of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans by Parties in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework...
Women4Biodiversity has been working to advance gender considerations in the work of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, including co-convening the CBD Women’s Caucus to share, collect, contribute and...
This brief presents an updated analysis and recommendations related to the headline indicators reflecting the outcome of the Report of the Expert Workshop on the Monitoring Framework for the Post-...
The “Chiang Mai Workshop Report” provides a comprehensive account of the workshop that took place on 15 May – 20 May 2023 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This report offers insights,...
This guide is compiled with a specific purpose: to provide additional support and concrete examples for Parties and decision-makers, non-state actors, and rights holders on how to meet this commitment...
This updated compilation of decisions from COP 1 to COP15 related to gender considerations in the CBD is a crucial step towards mainstreaming gender equality in biodiversity conservation efforts. This...
This qualitative study was developed under the Empowering women and boosting livelihoods through agricultural trade: Leveraging the AfCFTA programme, co-implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations...
The ASEAN Gender Outlook 2024 is the second edition of this series. Produced jointly by UN Women and the ASEAN Secretariat, in close consultation with ASEAN Member States, it highlights...
Fishing has long been a central activity, not only for sustenance but also as a means of cultural expression and identity for the people of Kiribati. With the commercialisation of...
The Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) programme – a global partnership between FAO, the UN Development Programme, the UNEnvironment Programme, Conservation International, the World Bank and the World Wide Fund for...