REFLECTIONS ON GENDER IN AQUACULTURE

AND FISHERIES

MERYL J WILLIAMS

@ Mekong Network for Gender in Fisheries 13th Annual Meeting Nong Khai, Thailand

22 June 2012

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Outline

NACA and AFS gender activities Some factual background

Reflections on the gender and fisheries

timeline Some personal views and observations

NACA gender action

Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific

2012 NACA Council decision*

2010 Sustaining aquaculture by

developing human capacity and enhancing opportunities for women – chapter in Global Conference on Aquaculture (with FAO, proceedings published 2012)**

*http://www.enaca.org/modules/news/article.php?article_id=1938

**http://genderaquafish.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/2012-fao-naca-gca-procs-expert-panel-6-3-chapter-titles.pdf

Putting Gender on the Programme of the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia

NACA vision, core activities suggest that gender should be included NACA is an inter-governmental body – obligations

to address gender equity Women and men are important in sustainable

rural aquaculture Gender is an important dimension of all core

activities (capacity building, R&d, policy guidelines, fish health and genetics)

What could NACA do?

Systematically integrate gender into partnership activities

Stimulate partners to undertake gender and aquaculture R&D

Generate and disseminate new evidence on gender and aquaculture for policy and practice

Mainstream gender in the Secretariat culture This will include developing staff capacity on

gender and getting gender expertise on board

AFS gender action

Photo: MRC “Catch and Culture” newsletter 1996: Participants at the: Seminar on the Role of Women in Fisheries in Indo-China Countries , Phnom Penh, 6-8 March 1996.

Asian Fisheries Society gender action was inspired by the 1994 Cambodia and 1996 Mekong seminars, and the 1995, 1998 and 2001 WIF photo competitions (supported by PADEK)

Dr M.C. Nandeesha was the instigator

Five symposia on women/gender

1998: Asian WIF (Chiang Mai) 2001: Global WIF (Kaohsiung) 2004: Global GAF (Penang) 2007: 2nd Global GAF (Kochi) 2011: 3rd Global GAF (Shanghai)

More AFS gender action

Website http://genderaquafish.org/ GAF symposia materials Glossary of terms Posts on Research resources New reports, studies News, events

Facebook page Alerts to posts Additional links, interactions, notices

Google Group News items, alerts Options for discussion

EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO JOIN AND CONTRIBUTE!

Influence and impacts

Reach to experts globally is growing Networks, organizations, researchers use the

social media outlets Slowly improving the quality of research

papers (peer review) First to break the news of high HIV/AIDS rates

in fishing communities (2001 symposium)

REFLECTING . . . . . . . . Milestones on gender and fisheries

Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 1975-

1975-9

1980-4 -1982 NACA starts as a project -1984 Asian Fisheries Soc. formed

1985-9

Rio Conference 1992- 1990-4 -1990 NACA created as an IGO

Code of Conduct for Responsible Fish. 1995- Beijing (CEDAW+20) 1995-

1995-9 -1996 Seminar on Indochina WIF -1998 Asian WIF

Millennium Development Goals 2000- 2000-4 -2000 Mekong NGF formed -2001 Global WIF -2004 Global GAF

2005-9 -2007 GAF2

FAO State of Food and Agric. (women) 2011- Rio+20 Conference 2012-

2010-4 -2010 Global Conf. on Aquaculture -2011 GAF3; FAO Special Workshop -2012 NACA adopts gender statement

CCRF+20 2015- CEDAW+40 2015-

2015-9 -2013 GAF4

GENDER, FISHERIES EVENTS GENDER AND FISHERIES EVENTS

Reflections on the timeline

1. Attention to gender in aquaculture and fisheries goes up and down over time

2. Gender ≠ women!

3. Gender-sensitive actions are complex in

concept and practice

Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 1975-

1975-9

1980-4 -1982 NACA starts as a project -1984 Asian Fisheries Soc. formed

1985-9 -1987 FAO Women in Aquaculture conf. -1986 ALCOM project starts

Rio Conference 1992- 1990-4 -1990 NACA created as an IGO

Code of Conduct for Responsible Fish. 1995- Beijing (CEDAW+20) 1995-

1995-9 -1996 Seminar on Indochina WIF -1998 Asian WIF

Millennium Development Goals 2000- 2000-4 -2000 Mekong NGF formed -2001 Global WIF -2004 Global GAF

2005-9 -2007 GAF2

FAO State of Food and Agric. (women) 2011- Rio+20 Conference 2012-

2010-4 -2010 Global Conf. on Aquaculture -2011 GAF3; FAO Special Workshop -2012 NACA adopts gender statement

CCRF+20 2015- CEDAW+40 2015-

2015-9 -2013 GAF4

GENDER, FISHERIES EVENTS GENDER AND FISHERIES EVENTS

Tracing gender interpretations (1980s and 1990s) HQ (FAO, donors)

Simple principles/tools vs inherent complexities Data for development vs feminist knowledge Lip service only to new approaches, policies

Regional project (ALCOM) Demands for project impact vs HQ/donor requirements Collection of gendered data “safe”

Pilot field projects Enrolling women as the “simple” solution proves

ineffective for all parties

Gender is not just women; men’s gender identities need changing Feminists often resist involving men too Men with organizational power often think only

women can work on “gender” issues Nothing changes, the attempts wither away

Interest in gender - up and down

Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 1975-

1975-9

1980-4 -1982 NACA starts as a project -1984 Asian Fisheries Soc. formed

1985-9 -1987 FAO Women in Aquaculture conf. -1986 ALCOM project starts

Rio Conference 1992- 1990-4 -1990 NACA created as an IGO

Code of Conduct for Responsible Fish. 1995- Beijing (CEDAW+20) 1995-

1995-9 -1996 Seminar on Indochina WIF -1998 Asian WIF

Millennium Development Goals 2000- 2000-4 -2000 Mekong NGF formed -2001 Global WIF -2004 Global GAF

2005-9 -2007 GAF2

FAO State of Food and Agric. (women) 2011- Rio+20 Conference 2012-

2010-4 -2010 Global Conf. on Aquaculture -2011 GAF3; FAO Special Workshop -2012 NACA adopts gender statement

CCRF+20 2015- CEDAW+40 2015-

2015-9 -2013 GAF4

GENDER, FISHERIES EVENTS GENDER AND FISHERIES EVENTS

Interest in gender – up and down

When interest is down . . . Funding dries up Experts become disheartened (especially if their

advice was not used), and They go to other fields, e.g., climate change Gender and fisheries/aquaculture does not progress

When interest is up . . . Leaders are not ready and don’t know what to do The search for (too) simple approaches starts again? How can we break the cycle?

Gender ≠ Women

Typical “solutions” are Involving women in the activities and developing

women-only projects Collecting gendered data, undertaking gender

analysis – but not acting on the findings The problems with the “solutions” More activities for women may just create greater

burdens, e.g., if gender relations are unchanged Focusing only on women ignores men’s gender

identities that are important elements Gender-sensitive practices require changes in power

relations between parties – difficult!

Towards gender-sensitive practices

Households are differentiated, not unitary Look at fisheries as a system, and aquaculture as a household economic production activity

Gender studies are not based on a single discipline Need better conceptual frameworks Strong social science is needed Other social variables such as class, race, religion, age

define and condition gender relations

Aquaculture and fisheries experts need Gender 101 education!

[Based on the Guest Editorial from the GAF3 Special Issue]

Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 1975-

1975-9

1980-4 -1982 NACA starts as a project -1984 Asian Fisheries Soc. formed

1985-9

Rio Conference 1992- 1990-4 -1990 NACA created as an IGO

Code of Conduct for Responsible Fish. 1995- Beijing (CEDAW+20) 1995-

1995-9 -1996 Seminar on Indochina WIF -1998 Asian WIF

Millennium Development Goals 2000- 2000-4 -2000 Mekong NGF formed -2001 Global WIF -2004 Global GAF

2005-9 -2007 GAF2

FAO State of Food and Agric. (women) 2011- Rio+20 Conference 2012-

2010-4

-2010 Global Conf. on Aquaculture -2011 GAF3; FAO Special Workshop -2012 NACA adopts gender statement -2013 GAF4

CCRF+20 2015- CEDAW+40 2015-

2015-9 - FOCUS ON BREAKING THE CYCLE

GENDER, FISHERIES EVENTS GENDER AND FISHERIES EVENTS