UNPACKING THE SSF GUIDELINES - Mainstreaming gender for SSF development strategies Chapter 8 – Gender equality

@Khalfan Al Rashdi

 

The webinar (you can watch it here) aimed to promote women's vital role in small-scale fisheries, equal rights and opportunities, acknowledging the importance of gender equality and equity as fundamental to any development.  The event included a great selection of the work being done around the world related to Chapter 8 (Gender equality) of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines).

Muzna Saif Al Hatmi presented on a SIDA funded project underway in Oman to further strengthen the work of coastal women in the processing sector, a vital part of the small-scale fisheries communities that make up the majority of fishing activity in the country. Her presentation on the project "Capacity Development of a Coastal Women Group in Al Masnaah Oman" as part of FAO's vision to enhance the impact of small-scale fisheries around the world, highlighted fishing as one of the oldest industries in Oman and the country's efforts in improving coastal women's livelihood by increasing their productivity and profitability across the value chain, as well as supporting the establishment of coastal women fisheries associations working with marine products. The project aimed to improve coastal women's efficiency in fishing and increasing the value addition of their products.

To achieve this goal, the project featured a series of online training labs on group dynamics, leadership, emotional and bridging skills, networking, dialogue, and negotiation. These labs aim to strengthen the organizational capacities of coastal women and enhance their technical capabilities. Muzna noted how the relationship between the members of the coastal women's associations was strengthened as a result of this project.  She added the common vision and the action plan that the targeted beneficiaries developed as a group through these labs and which will be implemented in the second phase of the project. This project will steer coastal women towards enhanced organizational performance of the group and contribute to sustainable development and continuity in the long run.

She described that, to evaluate the state of implementation of the SSF Guidelines to ensure the sustainability of small-scale fisheries in the Sultanate, a baseline assessment was carried out, which involved collecting data through a questionnaire related to the SSF Guidelines. Respondents were drawn from different sectors such as academia, the public sector, SMEs, and other community fishery organizations. Data analysis and the preparation of a final report is currently in progress.

 Some of the constraints that this project has encountered in implementing SSF Guidelines include; difficulties in engaging Omani youth as they are inclined towards fixed-income job opportunities. Landing sites are also scattered with a lack of an organized marketing system (markets and stores), and in addition, the monitoring of fisheries activities is not carried out adequately. Nevertheless, there have been opportunities in implementing SSF Guidelines in Oman which include; the existence of a strong political will for the fisheries sector (management and sustainability);involvement of the private sector; and a strong support from the national institution. There is also the availability of a well-developed infrastructure through the country, increased involvement of the population in marine-related activities, and a high demand for fish and other aquatic products from surrounding countries that provide ready markets.

From South East Asia, Panitnard Weerawat and Jariya Sornkliang from SEAFDEC presented the recently developed SEAFDEC Gender Strategy and their progress in country by country implementation from Myanmar to the Philippines. Maria Pena from CERMES presented their work on fisherfolk organization leadership in gender mainstreaming, fisheries governance and marine stewardship in Caribbean small scale fisheries and provided a great example of making the best of delivering training during COVID-related restrictions. In addition, she presented  the focus areas for the upcoming International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) 2022. She highlighted the work with fisherfolk organizations leadership in Caribbean small-scale fisheries and collaborative efforts aimed at strengthening leadership capacity among women, men, and youth in fisherfolk organizations.   Finally, Sarah Harper, representing the team of authors for the upcoming Illuminating Hidden Harvest Project’ chapter on gender and small-scale fisheries. The work included contributions from women in small-scale fisheries from around the world and an examination of the findings in the context of small-scale fisheries governance and decision-making through a gender lens, in the spirit of the SSF Guidelines.

Concluding remarks from Audun Lem, the FAO Fisheries Division Deputy-Director emphasized the spirit of informing, educating ourselves and sharing our knowledge to rethink the power relationship between human beings and traditional gender roles that prevent girls, boys, women, men and those who define their identity otherwise from realizing their full potential.