Gender equality and women’s empowerment have the potential to drive transformative change in aquatic food systems, therefore stimulating the key drivers of sustainable development whilst making value chains more equitable and efficient. The support of equitable and just power dynamics across fisheries and aquaculture-reliant communities aligns with the need to face endogenous and exogenous threats that are putting communities worldwide under increasing levels of pressure, such as reduction of fish stocks, economic instability and employment vulnerability, exposure to the effects of climate change and risks associated with natural shocks and pollution of aquatic ecosystems.

Intersectional factors, including age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, further shape women’s and men’s experiences and amplify vulnerabilities within the sectors. Addressing these challenges requires approaches that acknowledge and actively dismantle entrenched gender norms and divisions of labor. Gender-based constraints in aquatic food systems are the cornerstone of women’s invisibility: as women are “invisible” economic agents they are indeed prevented from accessing services, markets and decent work, they bear a triple work burden exposing them to economic vulnerability, they are excluded from decision-making processes and lack access and control over resources which are vital to their individual and collective empowerment.

Technical approaches and perspectives are increasingly being developed to provide effective tools to address gender-based constraints and create space for women and men to benefit from different activities along the value chains. A focus on transformative actions for gender inclusion within ocean-based food systems enables us to reframe women’s roles from passive or secondary to dynamic and integral. This includes supporting women’s leadership, amplifying their voices in governance, and integrating gender perspectives into policy and research. Such actions help break down barriers, open new opportunities for women, and encourage broader perspectives on how ocean resources can be managed equitably.

Creating an inclusive space for dialogue and shared knowledge among diverse stakeholders is essential. By foregrounding the contributions and insights of women who are directly engaged in these sectors, we can build a foundation for more responsive and equitable policies. These lived experiences, captured through case studies and community initiatives, offer practical examples of resilience and leadership that are essential for advancing gender equity. Through collaborative, intersectional policy-making and research, we can unlock the full potential of women’s contributions to sustainable, equitable ocean-based food systems. The sharing of lessons learned, innovative practices, and diverse perspectives strengthens our collective understanding and paves the way for gender-equitable governance and transformative actions within marine socio-ecological systems.

How to cite: Gee, J. and Luzzi, M.: Driving sustainable and equitable ocean-based food systems through the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment , One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-135, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-135, 2025.

Women play a pivotal role in the downstream activities of the fishing industry. They are primarily engaged in artisanal processing (a long-standing practice prevalent along Senegal's coastal and estuarine regions) as well as in scaling, shellfish collection, small-scale trading, and the marketing of fish products.

Senegal's marine fishing sector is a highly dynamic economic and social driver. Despite its rapid expansion in the 1950s and 1960s, the industry was severely impacted by the major drought of 1970-74, which brought inconsistent rainfall and reduced crop yields (notably for peanuts, millet, and corn). This crisis accelerated the decline of agricultural areas in the interior and significantly undermined the traditional economy and living standards of rural communities. The resulting hardships in rural areas spurred women to integrate into the economic landscape, where they now play a vital role in household survival. For instance, fishing has become a sector in which thousands of women actively participate along the entire value chain, making up over a quarter (27%) of the workforce.

The artisanal processing sub-sector is predominantly led  by women (90%). Along Senegal’s coast, more than 7,500 women are active in the artisanal processing areas established, creating significant wealth and income for both local and national economies. In this activity, women are a driving force for development and transformers of society. The income generated helps to meet family needs (daily expenses, children's schooling, social actions, etc.) and to support micro-businesses.

However, women's contribution to the fishing industry is often underestimated, both in scientific research and in social representations of the sector, official statistics and management practices and policies. Women encounter social and cultural barriers, marked by unequal male/female relations, particularly in an environment perceived as a man's world.

This proposal aims to examine the marginalization of women in the industry through a multidisciplinary approach, based on field data collection. It incorporates participant observation and both quantitative and qualitative surveys. Leveraging the accessibility of women and the existing organizational structures (CBOs, EIGs, associations, local unions, and federations), the research favors “open” or conversational interviews, as they elicit more detailed responses. Analyzing the social, economic, ecological, and political implications of their work is enriched by a literature review that sheds light on the processes of invisibilization and highlights policies aimed at increasing their visibility.

How to cite: Gaye, N.: The invisibility of women in the value chain of small-scale fisheries: case studies from West Africa, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-558, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-558, 2025.

While women represent 40% of the small-scale fisheries (SSF) workforce, their participation 
in this sector has long been invisible, ignored, and unrecognized. This lack of attention to 
women’s roles in SSF results in a major gender data gap, with implications for fisheries 
management and climate adaptation. This oral presentation aims to contribute to illuminate the 
role of women in the SSF sector through a case study in coastal Kenya in the context of climate 
change. Based on a 9-month ethnographic work in the South Coast of Kenya, my findings 
indicate that coastal Kenyan women are involved both in the post-production sector, either as 
fish processors, or vendor/traders, and in the production node. In addition, beyond the value 
chain itself, women are also largely in charge of family support and caring duties at home, 
which are necessary for sustaining the whole SSF sector. Through their multiple roles in the 
SSF economy and their local environmental knowledge, women contribute significantly to SSF 
social-ecological systems in coastal Kenya. However, they face significant barriers to 
participate in fisheries management, including socio cultural, economic, and institutional 
barriers, and specific restrictions to women’s access to leadership. Overall,  this presentation 
shows that women’s participation in SSF management is limited, thus challenging effective and 
inclusive management and adaptative strategies in the SSF sector. I conclude by providing key 
recommendations to achieve gender inclusivity in SSF through the systematisazion of gender
disaggregated data collection, recognition of women’s contribution to subsistence fishing and 
support to women’s participation in SSF management and   decision-making.

How to cite: Chambon, M.:   The hidden contribution of women to small-scale fisheries in a changing climate: A case study from coastal Kenya, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-178, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-178, 2025.

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) provide food and employment for hundreds of millions of people around the world and important opportunities to enhance household food security in developing countries. The intervention of women throughout SSF value chains makes this sector unique among other productive sectors. However, their specific roles are often undervalued and under-recognized in policy and developement agenda. This paper aims to shed light on the roles of women in small-scale fisheries and their impacts on the food security of coastal households in developing countries. We used a qualitative approach through participant observation and focus group discussions in fishing communities in seven regions of Madagascar, focusing on the priority fisheries as defined by the Ministry of Fisheries and the Blue Economy. Tools such as participatory community mapping and an image box were used to encourage the participation of local stakeholders (fishermen, fisherwomen, fishers wives, fishmongers, collectors, local and regional authorities) in the research activities. A scoring approach was used to rank and scale the answers.The study revealed that women are key actors throughout the value chain of the small-scale fishing sector and for food and nutrition security in particular. However, their access to resources and markets remains limited although they are strongly represented in post-harvest activities. Women are among of the vectors of knowledge and good values to achieve sustainability through their role et the household and community levels.This active participation of women also has potential for achieving other Sustainable Development Goals.

How to cite: Randrianandrasana, R. A., Andrianambinina, D., Leopold, M., and Razanakoto, T.: Women in small-scale fisheries: support sustainability and food security for coastal populations in developing countries., One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-1385, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-1385, 2025.

Both the fishing industry and small-scale fisheries often present a highly gender-biased image, in which fishers are seen primarily as men. However, according to an estimate by FAO, women constitute about 50% of all fishers and fish farmers, playing a crucial role in seafood production. The invisibility of fisherwomen in social representations, official statistics, and consequently in management policies and practices, has sparked a growing global debate that transcends different sociocultural contexts. In particular, guidelines for gender analysis and gender equity in fisheries have been developed, emphasizing that women’s contributions to fisheries (and thus to food security) should be counted and that fisherwomen inclusion in fisheries management is fundamental. The invisibility of women in coastal, mainly small-scale fisheries manifests itself in a variety of ways, depending on the environmental, political and sociocultural contexts in which they are embedded. Our presentation will compare the experiences of fisherwomen in North-east Brazil and Fiji. To provide an overview of the forms, causes, consequences and possibilities for improving the invisibilisation of fisherwomen in small-scale fisheries, we cross-examine these two case studies through the lens of three key aspects. First, we look at fisherwomen's participation in (mainly subsistence-oriented) fishing activities and the environmental and societal challenges they encounter. Second, we outline the different approaches we have used to make this participation more visible in our research, such as producing quantitative and qualitative data on local fisheries and using existing databases related to fishing activities. Finally, we examine the involvement of fisherwomen in local fisheries management, considering the influence of the historical context and the main barriers and opportunities they face in both regions. This comparison between case studies in Latin America and Oceania makes it possible to identify similar patterns and processes that may be common to other contexts, while also distinguishing historical, sociocultural and governance specificities.

How to cite: Pelage, L. and Fache, E.: Women’s contributions to coastal fisheries and their management: A comparison between Brazil and Fiji., One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-156, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-156, 2025.

Sometimes ignored, even marginalized, sometimes accused of destroying mangroves through “abusive” logging, “non-selective” extraction of fish and shellfish, “informal”, if not anarchic, value-chains, fisherwomen have to struggle to be recognized for who they are and what they do, and show how they act and resist in the face of globalization.

Based on a corpus of ethnographic data collected over more than 40 years in diverse geographical contexts and a review of the literature with a gender lens, the contribution highlights the enduring invisibility of fisherwomen, but also their ability for making visible the invisible, for preserving their heritage, closely linked to their territory and identity and, finally, their power and empowerment thanks to their multiple use system of mangrove and their mutual support and recognitions.

From Senegal to India, from Madagascar to Vietnam, from Colombia to Bissau-Guinea, they have managed to change their marginal and so-called ignorant status, asserting their identity: they are not single gleaner or harvester, but they do fish as well as the men fish. The fish value-chain (extraction, processing, selling) they control is far from being an «informal» sector. They considered themselves not only working women but “earning” women, very proud of their knowledge, know-how and self-organization of regulations. Not only do they work hard, but most of them earn money, sometimes more than their husbands, and are therefore responsible for the security of their households. They have acquired economic autonomy and “entrepreneurial” status, demonstrating their resistance over time, both defensively and offensively, to the consequences of globalization. Their capacity for self-organization and mutual support appears to be key factor in their power and empowerment.

The example of those powerful fisherwomen invites to imagine desirable futures, anchored on the ground, responding to the needs and aspirations of the most vulnerable people and targeting sustainable and just solutions.

Nevertheless, on the one hand, this women's resistance is far from being widespread and supported in an ad hoc manner. Most fisherwomen remain weak and vulnerable; on the other hand, their local businesses are often fragile and threatened by external forces, both public and private. Even today, women are rarely informed. They are even more rarely consulted on the future of mangroves on a larger scale. This discrepancy between their local influence and policies enacted according to standards and mechanisms designed by actors from outside the environment and imposed from outside has perverse effects, resulting in exactions against them.

To support the “weapons of the weaks”, researchers need to develop approaches that are more holistic, more participatory, more local, more southern, more feminine and more inclusive. Development and empowerment projects in the fishing industry must target women, and aim to recognize and qualify their knowledge and know-how, and label the sectors they master.

How to cite: Cormier-Salem, M.-C.: The resistance of the fisherwomen in the face of globalization, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-226, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-226, 2025.