Human rights & gender equality

How can your fishery benefit all community members in an equitable manner? A human rights-based approach recognizes and promotes the roles of all fishery stakeholders, while uplifting women and other marginalized people. Upholding the rights of all people through inclusive, participatory decision-making and working towards preventing human-rights abuses is fundamental to successful small-scale fisheries. Start here to learn about gender equity and equality and use the sub-categories below to identify stakeholders and understand their rights, and yours. 

Subcategories

Resources

Women in Small-scale Fisheries in Tanzania: Challenges and Opportunities

This video case study explores the challenges that women involved in fisheries activities face on a day to day basis in Tanzania: What successes have they achieved? how can their participation in fisheries be strategically improved? It also explains the strategies in place at local and national levels to counter and improve the situation.

ICSF's Summary of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication

The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) were adopted by member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and were officially approved as an international instrument in June 2014. Tis document is only a summation of the contents of the Guidelines.

Unveiling women's roles and inclusion in Mexican small-scale fisheries (SSF)

The contributions of women to fisheries are often invisible, ignored, and unrecognized even though they represent 47% of the global fisheries workforce, especially in pre- and post-production activities. Poor data systems lead to incorrect assumptions about the gender division of labor in fisheries. This causes the role of women in fisheries to be overlooked. To evaluate the contribution of women in the value chain, a participatory methodology was implemented in three small-scale, fisheries in Mexico: California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) fishery from the northern Mexican Pacific, penshell (Atrina maura) fishery from the Gulf of California, and Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery from the Mesoamerican Reef region.

Women's empowerment, collective actions, and sustainable fisheries: lessons from Mexico

Collective action is recognized as a key element to successfully implementing sustainable fisheries. Nevertheless, gender equality, as an essential component in such actions, is often missing. In fisheries, women’s contributions are regularly invisible and remain unrepresented in statistics. In this paper, we examine the current status of women in Mexican fisheries based on governmental reports and programs, as well as five case studies from small-scale fishing communities.

Actioning the Monterey Framework: Stories from Around the World

The Monterey Framework is a collectively agreed-upon definition of socially responsible seafood with input and backing from over two-dozen environmental and human rights organizations and voluntary commitments from an equal number of seafood businesses.

Pacific handbook for gender equity and social inclusion in coastal fisheries and aquaculture

This handbook is designed to give practical guidance on improving gender and social inclusion in coastal fisheries and aquaculture for staff working in fisheries agencies in Pacific Island countries and territories. It focuses on the responsibilities of Pacific Island governments to help promote sustainable development outcomes for all people relying on coastal fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods.

The traditional tenure rights in the clam fishery of the Volta Estuary.

This report examines traditional management and tenure arrangements in the clam fishery of the Volta river estuary and provides recommendations for ensuring the sustainability of the clam fishery, which is critical for local livelihoods and food security.

The ten principles for global transparency

Transparency in the fishing industry is the best weapon we have have against the twin tragedies of illegal fishing and human rights abuse in the sector. EJF has collated ten simple principles for states to follow.

Why they must be counted: Significant contributions of Fijian women fishers to food security and livelihoods

Women play crucial roles in small-scale fisheries, yet their contributions are largely invisible, often ignored and unrecognized. This study conducted household and focus group surveys to examine the role of indigenous Fijian (iTaukei) women in SSF, documenting fishing practices and contributions to household food security and income.

Towards gender-equitable small-scale fisheries governance and development

This document, Towards Gender-Equitable Small-Scale Fisheries – A handbook In support of the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (henceforth the “handbook”), was developed to support gender-equitable small-scale fisheries by enhancing the understanding of their gender dimensions, with a focus on the specific role and conditions of women in the small-scale fisheries sector.

Legislating for sustainable small-scale fisheries

This document, Legislating for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries – A guide and considerations for implementing aspects of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication in National Legislation, is a tool for States to strengthen their fisheries legislation in order to establish conditions for inclusive and sustainable small-scale fisheries development, taking into account the interrelatedness of social, economic and environmental sustainability, while focusing on marginalized groups.

Pescadores en México y Cuba: Retos y oportunidades ante el cambio climático

Este libro da cuenta de los retos que pescadores y pescadoras de México y Cuba afrontan frente al cambio climático: el cambio en sus artes de pesca, el conocimiento que tienen sobre los cambios que han sufrido los ecosistemas y el clima –desde la perspectiva de varias generaciones atrás en contraste con la generación actual, así como los cambios climáticos locales que son periódicos, como “El Niño”-, de las formas de organización social, de la participación de las pescadoras en la ciencia ciudadana y también, de los cambios que como científicos y científicas hacemos a nuestros marcos teóricos y a las bases de datos para el análisis de especies y capturas. En fin, cada vez es más evidente que la multidisciplina es una necesidad creciente para entender los problemas complejos, y la relación entre cambio climático, pescadores-pescadoras y pesquerías no es la excepción. 

Gender equality is diluted in commitments made to small-scale fisheries

This study examines the role of gender, gender equality, and gender equality strategies in small-scale fisheries.

Exploring gender inclusion in small-scale fisheries management and development in Melanesia

"Fisheries, like other sectors, is not immune to gender inequality, and women tend to experience the brunt of inequality as undervalued and underrepresented actors in fisheries management and development. A comprehensive understanding of the gender approaches in use, including potential barriers to their implementation, is needed to promote gender equitable outcomes in the small-scale fisheries (SSF) sector."

Information and communication technologies for small-scale fisheries (ICT4SSF) - A handbook for fisheries stakeholders

The aim of this report is to present evidence towards how Information and Communication Technologies for Small-scale Fisheries (ICT4SSF) might enable and support the implementation of the FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines). We present case studies of ICT4SSF initiatives in different use areas to identify key themes and reflect on successes and failures.

IUCN Guidelines for gathering of fishers' knowledge for policy development and applied use

"These voluntary IUCN Guidelines for gathering of fishers’ knowledge for policy development and applied use (the “Fishers’ Knowledge Policy Development Guidelines”) provide much needed practical and theoretical guidance on what and how gathering Fishers’ Knowledge can be utilized in policy development and in society today. Fishers’ Knowledge includes indigenous and traditional knowledge and experienced persons who have been involved in a fishery and community over an extended period of time. "

Too Big To Ignore: Let's commit to Blue Justice

Join TBTI Global and its members around the world to speak up and take action for social justice for small-scale fisheries

Women's Role, Struggles and Strategies Across Fisheries Value Chain: The Case of Lake Victoria - Tanzania

The focus of this study was on Dagaa (sardines) (Rastrineobola argentea) Fishery which involves mostly women in its overall value chain. The study sites were areas that are specialized in dagaa fishery and these include Lushonga Island located in the Muleba district of Kagera region, Mwanza Kirumba international fish market and in some of the landing beaches in Nyamagana and Ilemela districts in Mwanza.

Empowering women in small-scale fisheries for sustainable food systems

"This document provides a summary of the presentations, discussions, conclusions and recommendations of the regional inception workshop, "Empowering women in small-scale fisheries for sustainable food systems" held in Accra, Ghana from 3-5 March 2020."