The “Chibote area” refers to a cluster of villages in the Luapula province of Zambia. A census of fish farmers conducted in May 1990 in Chibote area, Luapula province, Zambia, revealed that 327 fish farmers in the area owned 654 ponds. The farmer-owners were spread out among 27 villages; 33 of them were women, of whom 16 lived in a single village, Musonda Bule.
The census findings stimulated the study “Integrating gende2r issues in aquaculture,” which was carried out in Chibote area in August 1990 by a researcher, Ms Emmy H Mbozi, and a research assistant, Ms Lungowe Sitombeka. The team spent three weeks in Musonda Bule and one week in Chibote to collect data.
The main object was to determine factors that could encourage or impede women's participation in aquaculture. The study discussed how various people could contribute to fish farming -- through land, labour, money, tools, feed etc. Other topics covered were: decision-making in fish farming; access to and control over the means of production; major income-generating activities; and household tasks by gender.
Questions dealt with by the survey included:
Were some of the women's duties replaced by fish farming?
Did fish farming by the women increase household duties? Who bore the extra burden in that case?
As a result of fish farming, were there any changes in the activities carried out by the men and the women?
What implications did this hold for the ownership of ponds, control over benefits by gender, and female participation in fish farming?
