The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) has released the latest edition of Yemaya, its newsletter on gender and fisheries.
Yemaya No. 67, dated August 2023, a special issue on GAF8 features articles on the recently held 8th Global Conference on Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries-Shaping the Future: Gender Justice for sustainable aquaculture and Fisheries. Held over three days, from 21-23 November 2022 in the city of Kochi in the coastal state of Kerala in India, GAF8 attracted 198 delegates from 26 countries and hosted 70 paper presentations as well as a range of expertly curated audio-visual media events.
The presentations at the conference revealed that women in aquaculture and fisheries across the world are putting in long hours of hard labour in conditions that are becoming increasingly more challenging due to climate change impacts and the growing risk of biological and environmental disasters. The dire and long-overdue need for formal recognition of women’s labour emerged as one of the chief recommendations from the conference. Other recommendations include women’s rights of tenure and the management and use of coastal lands; women’s right to receive institutional support and build capacity and entrepreneurship; to have access to food and nutritional security; to live and work in a safe, peaceful and hygienic environment; and to collectivize and organize themselves. Another key recommendation is the need for new approaches to document and analyse gender issues in aquaculture and fisheries, which draw upon political economy, human rights, intersectionality, and transformative, participatory, and gendered value chain concepts, and include standardized tools and methodologies to generate gender-based data.
The Profile column by Ashwini Jog looks at how Purnima Meher continues her struggle for the rights of fisherwomen who are facing increasing marginalization due to large-scale development projects that encroach the seas and coastal areas, depriving the fishing community of their primary means of livelihood.
The current issue of Yemaya also spotlights Coast 2 Coast which contains information distilled from the collaborative work of a Peruvian community based nonprofit with rural educators and young leaders from public schools, nonprofits and social welfare centers located in inland and coastal small-scale fishing villages in Peru, Nigeria, Madagascar and India. Emi opines that this curriculum would be of great value, especially for the purpose of advocacy and training.
The Milestones column by Sivaja Nair looks at the recently published Global Gender GAP Report 2023. The report highlights persistent gender disparities that hinder progress towards a more inclusive and equitable society. She argues that women’s representation in leadership roles and their participation in the workforce remain areas of concern.
The Yemaya Recommends section, points out that the book “Achieving Gender Equality at Work” offers a series of comprehensive recommendations aimed at achieving gender equality at work. By addressing the identified challenges and adopting the provided recommendations, societies can create more inclusive and sustainable economies that capitalize on the full potential of both women and men.
Yemaya No. 67 can be accessed at:
https://www.icsf.net/yemaya-articles.php?id=9790