Mrs Mariama Dieng, Dionewar, Senegal, 24 February 2022 ©FAO/Lala Ndiaye

8 March, Dakar/Praia/Rome - Mrs Mariama Dieng, 40, manages a shrimp and shellfish processing unit on the island of Dionewar, in Senegal's Sine Saloum Delta. She quit school at age 20, and started working two years later.

Married to a seaman who is away for long periods of time, she lives with her mother-in-law and her five children. Her day begins at dawn, when she gets up to prepare the family midday meal and do household chores before leaving for the processing unit.

"When you're born and you grow up in Dionewar, you're inevitably immersed in the world of fish processing. My grandmothers, mother and aunts all did this job, which is the main activity of almost all the women here. And it's a job I love," says Mrs Dieng. "Everything I am today and everything I have is thanks to this job."

While she is passionate about her work and it contributes decently to her family's livelihood, Mrs Dieng is concerned about the increasing scarcity of fish and the potential impact of oil drilling, which is set to start in 2023.

"The sea is threatened. We have no more fish. At this rate, we will have no more work. The exploitation of oil has been announced, and our jobs might be affected. So, I want my daughters to take their studies seriously," she commented. "I hope they get an education so they can have jobs in air-conditioned offices and drive cars," she added.

For her own future, Mrs Dieng says that in the next 5-10 years she would like to see the local processing unit become "like a palace."

"And I want us to be independent. To be able to finance ourselves so we can purchase equipment and whatever else we need for our business," added Mrs Dieng, who is a beneficiary of the CFI in West Africa (CFI-WA).

International Women's Day is one "we look forward to with impatience: we are getting our products ready for March 8, when we will display them at the market. We want to be seen, and for the world to know our work."

"The women need leadership skills so they can value themselves more"

The key to empowerment for women like Ms Dieng is to gain business and leadership skills, says Ms Lala Ndiaye, 35, who worked 12 years as a journalist before joining FAO as the national communications consultant for CFI in Senegal.

Ms Ndiaye grew up in Dakar and on Gorée Island, in what she describes as a "calm and loving family of very open-minded people" where education was a paramount value.

"Today the major challenge, in my opinion, is access to equal opportunities. Girls from disadvantaged backgrounds are more marginalised. There are barriers, and they bear the brunt of them," she said.

As far as small-scale coastal fisheries, where women work in arduous conditions with limited skills and equipment, Ms Ndiaye sees a need for training in entrepreneurship, governance, literacy, accounting, and project management.

"The women need more outlets for their products, access to urban markets, and the means to process their fish under sanitary conditions," she commented. Overall, "They need strengthen their leadership skills, so that they can take control of their lives and value themselves more."

She says that she hopes for a future with more equality, and to be in a country that places education at the heart of the public agenda.

"I also hope for the CFI to deliver meaningful results, and for our efforts to benefit my community, my business, my family, my neighbourhood and my country," added Ms Ndiaye.

"To me, International Women's Day is an important symbolic day. An opportunity to assess all the major battles for women's rights, and to take on new challenges so we can remove the remaining obstacles to women's development," she concluded.

Women in coastal fisheries are fighting "invisibility"

She was echoed by junior communications consultant Rodia Vicente, 28, who grew up in what she describes as a "huge" family in Praia, Cabo Verde.

"I had a very happy childhood, and I am very grateful to my parents for the good education I received," said Ms Vicente, who works at the CFI in Cabo Verde.

She says that in her small island state, women in the fisheries sector face many barriers and constraints: invisibility in policies and statistics, lack of a voice at all levels of decision-making, informal jobs and lack of social protection, low access to credit and financing, and low investment levels.

"Also, we still need to eliminate gender-based violence, and to further promote women's leadership and participation in politics," she added.

In the future, Ms Vicente plans to pursue a master's degree and a doctorate, and aspires to become a highly respected professional in her field.

For her, International Women's Day is a time for reflection and celebration.

"It’s a day to acknowledge the importance of the contributions of all women, so that young girls around the world can have role models that look like them and know there is hope and a chance to seek equal treatment, conditions and opportunities," she said.