Identifying Gender Perspectives in Small-scale Fisheries and Aquaculture in Southeast Asia through Access and Control Profiles

Abstract

The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) is recognized as one of the regional fisheries organizations that promote gender equality, enabling women to participate fully in the fisheries value chain and gain recognition for their work. Women provide significant contributions to the fishery industry. However, limited access to resources has resulted to gender inequalities in economic development, leading to women’s invisibility as major players in the fishery industry. Women comprise almost half of the labor force in small-scale capture fisheries-related activities. While men fish farther from shore, women are engaged in local small-scale fishery activities inshore to earn additional income for their households. These include harvesting shellfish and seaweeds for sale and family consumption, repairing nets, processing fish products, and marketing, in addition to managing their households and taking care of their families. Nonetheless, the ‘invisibility’ of women in small-scale fisheries has been recognized lately and is being addressed through programs and projects that aim to mainstream gender into fisheries development (Needham, 2011).