Wave of awareness needed for women in Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries

12 Mar 2024 --- The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are endeavoring to create awareness about the unsung roles of women in Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries by conducting a collaborative study with the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division. 

“Women’s contributions to fisheries are often underrecognized and undervalued, yet they are crucial for the sustainability and success of the sector. They bring unique perspectives, skills, and knowledge that can enhance decision-making processes and improve the overall productivity and efficiency of fisheries operations,” Anna Carlson, fishery officer for socio-economic issues at the GFCM Secretariat, tells Nutrition Insight.

“Empowering women in the fisheries industry through education, training, access to resources, and leadership opportunities is essential for promoting gender equality, economic development, and sustainable fisheries management.” 

Women command jobs such as fish processing, marketing, management, research, and fishing. Many of their jobs are behind the scenes, supporting family fishing businesses, including fixing nets, cleaning fish and bookkeeping.

“Recognizing and acknowledging the true value that women bring to the fisheries industry is key to achieving these goals and ensuring a more inclusive and equitable future for all involved in the sector,” Carlson outlines.

Stepping out of the shadows
Data on the contributions of women are limited and challenging to capture in official statistics. Gender-specific information along the value chain is rarely documented in statistics. GFCM encourages the industry to use “fisher” instead of “fisherman” to be more inclusive. 

A new study by GFCM and FAO has evaluated some of the metrics at play to ensure that the female experience of the industry is preserved and can be integrated into fisheries management and improve the standard of living in coastal communities.

“(The study emphasizes the need to) improve data to raise awareness to better value the role of women in fisheries by highlighting opportunities that gender equity can bring to fisheries communities; there is a need to combat the perception of fisheries as a man’s domain,” Carlson explains.

“This perception comes, in part, from the fact that official statistics on fisheries-based jobs often are not gender-disaggregated and often refer only to the vessel-based harvesting sector, whereas women can commonly be found working in the pre-and post-harvest sectors and as foot-based fishers.” 

The lack of data on the contribution of women means their contributions often go unrecognized by decision-makers, leading to a lack of consideration of women’s issues in decision-making, reinforcing existing gender inequalities and potentially leading to unintentional discrimination.

Persistent biasesGFCM hopes that by creating awareness, the pertinent issues related to gender equality will be addressed (Credit: UN Women). 
Women hold just under a third of all Mediterranean and Black Sea fishing-related jobs. However, the current study’s figures likely underestimate women’s true contributions to the economies of coastal communities because of ongoing bias. 

“It is taking time for the people, our families, to understand the nature of our work and the risks and difficulties we face. Awareness needs to be raised. We are very passionate about our work, we are interested in continuing to progress and achieve stability, and in our right to exist in the sector,” a Mediterranean female fisher interviewed in the study explains.

The objective of the study is to bring gender equity in fisheries to key discussions by policymakers and help in the construction of a framework for future policy and regulation. Integrating the knowledge base and experiences will significantly improve their lives and families. 

Women account for 38% of regional employment in the post-harvest stage, 16% in pre-harvest and 10% in the harvest sector stages. Their employment is more substantial in industrial fishing than in small-scale fisheries. This figure is probably not representative of their work in non-vessel-based jobs because there is a lack of systematized data collection.

Contributions finally noted
A mixed quantitative–qualitative approach was taken for the study. Qualitative analyses based on key informant interviews with people from five different countries represent a diversity of fisheries contexts in the GFCM area of application. In addition, fishers, fisheries managers and gender experts were consulted.

“Women’s organizations are crucial for amplifying the voices of women and making sure that their needs are considered in decision-making. Women face obstacles to their full and equal participation in fisheries due to barriers to owning assets and accessing finances and information, as well as limitations on their mobility. Supporting their full and active participation in the sector requires drawing attention to and removing these barriers,” Carlson explains.

The authors used a network of cooperatives, research institutes, and government administrations to conduct the interviews. Members of fisher organizations that previously engaged with the GFCM in events such as sessions of the Small-Scale Fishers’ Forum were also consulted. 

The researchers recommend gender-disaggregated data collection along the fisheries value chain by national authorities in the regions analyzed. The information should facilitate the steps needed to improve the working conditions of women in the industry and the social and economic circumstances of fishing communities. 

GFCM will address fisheries biases of women by developing advocacy initiatives and helping women access the necessary equipment and social protection programs. The study suggests that gender-sensitive projects and training encouraging women to engage and express themselves should be prioritized.

“By prioritizing these elements and working toward a more inclusive and equitable fisheries industry, we can create a future where women are valued, empowered, and fully engaged in shaping sustainable and thriving fisheries communities,” Carlson concludes.

By Inga de Jong