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Strengthening the role of women in
the marine fisheries sector of South Asia
Yugraj Singh Yadava, Director and Rajdeep Mukherjee, Policy Analyst,
Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation
T
he marine fisheries sector in South Asia (in the
present context comprising Bangladesh, India,
Maldives and Sri Lanka) is traditionally a sector
of family-oriented artisanal activity. In a typical fisher
family, men would usually engage in production-oriented
activities such as fish harvesting or navigating the vessel,
while women would by and large engage in post-harvest
activities such as distribution and marketing. These tradi-
tional roles of women in fisheries have changed over time
but their contributions to the overall development of the
fisheries sector in the region remain significant.
The 1970s brought the first change when capital-intensive
powered vessels were introduced in marine fisheries in the
region. This change saw the emergence of commercial fishing
enterprises from hitherto family-based, small, non-powered
fishing units. At the same time, improved communication
and transportation infrastructure also led to the growth
of markets, extending from village boundaries to national
limits and beyond.
These developments created both challenges and oppor-
tunities for fisherwomen. The challenges came from
disturbances in traditional supply and distribution channels
as production units moved away from a particular village to
fish landing centres and fishing harbours catering to several
villages, towns and cities. On the other hand, a larger market
also increased opportunities for better price realization and
upscaling business activity. It also created the scope of
employment in post-harvest activities such as processing,
fish drying and so on.
The Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP) of the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a
precursor of the present Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-
Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), was in the forefront
Drying small fish in Negombo, Sri Lanka
Image: S Jayaraj
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