@FAOGhana/David Youngs

Women in small-scale fisheries central to FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Artisanal Fisheries

Women predominate the post-harvest activities in the fisheries sector and play a key role in ensuring that their families and consumers have access to nutritious food. However, women small-scale fisheries (SSF) stakeholders face many obstacles and frequently do not have the same rights and opportunities as men.

Raising awareness and promoting dialogue and collaboration among small-scale fisheries stakeholders is key to sustainably develop small-scale fisheries at the African continent level, as part of the Global Strategic Framework for the implementation of the FAO’s SSF Guidelines endorsed by the 31^st session of the Conference of Fisheries (COFI 31) in 2014.

“Based on recent estimates small-scale fisheries contribute more than 46 percent of global marine and inland fish catches, and approximately 90 percent of the 140 million people engaged in artisanal  fisheries globally work in the small-scale fisheries sector,” said FAO Regional Fisheries Officer Ndiaga Gueye at a joint workshop organized by the African Confederation of Professional Organisations of Artisanal Fisheries (CAOPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Ada. Ghana (21 to 24 June 2021). The workshop aimed to raise awareness about the implementation of the SSF Guidelines, and the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Despite the immense contribution of women in sustaining the socio-economic livelihoods of their families in the small-scale fisheries sector, their contribution is often neglected or taken for granted.

“Artisanal fisheries contribute over 70 percent of Ghana’s fish production annually. Fourteen percent of the workforce in the fishing industry are women and the majority of those women are involved in post-harvest fisheries sub-sectors in Ghana,” said Ghana’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Mavis Hawa Kumson.

“In recognition of the role of women in the fisheries sector, the Government of Ghana has supported women fish processors to organize into the National Fish Traders and Processors Association which has improved their managerial skills and supported the introduction of fuel efficient fish smoking ovens such as the Ahoto oven and the FAO-supported Thiaroye oven,” she added.

International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture

The 72^nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (2017) proclaimed 2022 the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022). FAO was designated to lead the celebration of the year in collaboration with other relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system.

IYAFA 2022 is an important recognition of the millions of small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers who provide healthy and nutritious food to billions of people and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals including Zero Hunger. The Year aims to focus world attention on the role that small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers play in food security and nutrition, poverty eradication and sustainable natural resource use thereby increasing global understanding and action to support them.