A fact-finding mission about the role women play in fisheries and aquaculture in
Mozambique was conducted between January 28 and February 14, 2014. The mission’s
objective was to document the participation of women in two value chains: The smallscale capture fisheries value chain and the aquaculture value chain. The task was to identify entry points for improving the work condition and creating equal access to resources and opportunities for women in the two value chains, the study area was in Gaza Province. The capture fisheries value chain was found to be well established. Male fishers are typically involved in the production of the commodity (resource management and catch), and women are predominantly engaged in trading activities. But their social organization is weak and women are under-represented in local fisheries management committees and credit and savings groups resulting in poor access to fish preservation equipment. The aquaculture value chain, on the other hand, does not include post-harvest traders and operations. Aquaculture producers operate either individually or through associations of producers. In contrast to the capture fisheries sector, women dominate aquaculture production. This is a result of specific targeting of women by the government extension officers. The mission identified a number of areas as possible entry points towards the further involvement and improvements for women engaged in the small scale capture fisheries sector and the aquaculture sector.