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Gender equality in the fishing sector

The story of Chile and Peru

By IW:LEARN

June 8^th, 2023

Historically, artisanal fishing has been viewed as a male-dominated occupation due to cultural norms and traditional roles assigned to women and men. However, women have always been part of the sector, performing crucial roles in fisheries, yet their contributions are largely invisible, often ignored and unrecognized.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), women represent around 50% of the world's capture fisheries and aquaculture workforce and perform 90% of the fish processing functions, such as washing, fileting, packaging, among others.

In addition to being fisherwoman or divers, women participate in a variety of activities complementary to resource extraction, such as net repair, bait preparation, gutting, selling, processing, among many others.

However, barriers persist that impede women's full participation in economic opportunities, leadership, and decision-making in the sector.

Women “fishery-related activities” are often informal, seasonal, and low paid.

Organizations also usually only accept men as associates, but in some cases, Ladies' Committees are established where women can participate. Despite this, women are not granted the status of members and, therefore, are not allowed to participate in decision making.

"Most organizations only accept men and the women who enter as members are limited to the role of “palleteras” or “guaneras”, who are the ones who collect what is left over from the main seaweed harvest.

"There are differences in payment for women because they collect what is left over, which is very little," says Yenny Pizarro, Vice President of the REALMAR Fishing Association, one of the few women in Marcona, Peru to hold a position as a leader of an artisanal fishing organization.

The limited recognition of the activities carried out by women has resulted in the precariousness and informality of their dynamics. The lack of equipment, technology, the precariousness of wages and labor, as well as limited access to information, training, and credits, limit their full participation in the sector. According to Rosa Canelo, a stevedore in Pisco, Peru,

“Men are the ones who earn more income, they own the boats and have access to certain positions with higher pay.”

In the case of Peru, there is a lack of accurate, visible, and accessible information on women in the fisheries sector. The most recent data captured by the National Inland Fisheries Census was in 2013 where it was identified that only 14% of registered artisanal fishermen are women.

The absence of more current official records that include the different activities carried out by women in other links of the chain makes it not possible to measure their participation.

The case of Chile is slightly different. According to the National Artisanal Fishing Registry, women represent almost 25% of the total number of artisanal fishermen, registered in the categories of fisherwomen, vessel owners, divers, and seaweed harvesters.

Although this data is still focused on the extractive activity, with the enactment of Law 21370 in 2021, which establishes a gender quota in the sector's decision-making bodies and the recognition of “fishery -related activities”, Chile is making progress in the development of a registry that incorporates information on the participation of women in activities complementary to fishing.

Having systematic and updated data on the real participation and contribution of women in fishing is essential so that their contributions do not remain invisible. If women's roles and contributions are not recognized, their needs and interests cannot be integrated into public policies, directly impacting the sustainable management of fishery resources.

In this context, Chile and Perú are implementing the Humboldt II project that aims at developing actions to promote the management and conservation of the marine resources of the Humboldt Current Ecosystem.

This ecosystem is considered one of the most productive and richest in the world due to its large reserve of fish, macroalgae, mollusks, as well as seabirds and marine mammals. It is also the site of important fishing activity, which is a source of work and food for thousands of men and women.

This initiative, implemented by the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SUBPESCA) of Chile and the Vice Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Peru (VMPA-PRODUCE) with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and co-financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), will place special emphasis on the promotion, recognition and empowerment of fisherwomen and those involved in related activities.

This binational project will provide technical assistance to women in the sector to develop enterprises and activities to diversify production and add value based on marine resources.

They will also receive training in organizational strengthening and leadership, promoting their inclusion in decision-making spaces and management committees, while promoting the establishment of learning networks and the exchange of experiences between women from both countries.

About the Humboldt II Project

The Humboldt II project aims to facilitate ecosystem-based fisheries management and the restoration of Humboldt Current ecosystems for the sustainable and resilient provision of goods and services from living marine resources shared by Chile and Peru.

The project is executed by the Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Chile (SUBPESCA) and the Vice Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Production of Peru (PRODUCE), and implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), with co-financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and partner institutions from the States of Chile and Peru.