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WOFNET has been exploring women’s identities and wellbeing across the fishing
industry in Uganda. WOFNET has spoke to women who were part of fishing families, entrepreneurs in the industry, and who worked onboard fishing vessels. This work has helped to shed light on the often overlooked and important roles that women play in the sector. In our research, WOFNET focused on understanding what fishing, and being part of a fishing family, means to the women involved from their own perspective. The research main findings can be organized into four key areas, discussed below.
Findings
>1
Identifying the position of women in fishing families
WOFNET has found out that through their social, economic, and emotional
contributions, women ensure the resilience of fishing businesses, families, and places. As a network, WOFNET has helped to uncover women’s hidden roles in fishing families, which span a range of skills within family-run businesses. Women often run the administrative side of these enterprises, completing paperwork, VAT returns, and health and safety risk assessments. They also often have other jobs which provide important incomes to sustain fishing families in times of economic hardship. Moreover, women often perform roles crucial to maintaining a functioning household, such as taking care of children when male fishers are away at the fishing site. WOFNET findings also reveal how women’s wellbeing is tied to the fishery – with women directly bearing some of the negative costs caused by decline, stresses, and crises in the sector.
contributions, women ensure the resilience of fishing businesses, families, and places. As a network, WOFNET has helped to uncover women’s hidden roles in fishing families, which span a range of skills within family-run businesses. Women often run the administrative side of these enterprises, completing paperwork, VAT returns, and health and safety risk assessments. They also often have other jobs which provide important incomes to sustain fishing families in times of economic hardship. Moreover, women often perform roles crucial to maintaining a functioning household, such as taking care of children when male fishers are away at the fishing site. WOFNET findings also reveal how women’s wellbeing is tied to the fishery – with women directly bearing some of the negative costs caused by decline, stresses, and crises in the sector.
>2
Women have a strong sense of belonging to their fishing communities.
WOFNET has established that Women have strong senses of belonging to fishing
places and are active in developing these communities. They are often engaged in
activities to promote mental health or environmental sustainability. But women – in
particular those who fish – also struggle to be included in groups of typically male
fishers, and have to engage in the politics of belonging to become accepted. WOFNET has established that whilst women in the Uganda are often forgotten in fisheries discussions, WOFNET research finds that they can influence and develop fishing places through their presence, initiatives, and sense of belonging. WOFNET has found out that more specifically, by either confirming or challenging longstanding notions of inclusion and exclusion in the fishery, women can both maintain and change fishing places.
places and are active in developing these communities. They are often engaged in
activities to promote mental health or environmental sustainability. But women – in
particular those who fish – also struggle to be included in groups of typically male
fishers, and have to engage in the politics of belonging to become accepted. WOFNET has established that whilst women in the Uganda are often forgotten in fisheries discussions, WOFNET research finds that they can influence and develop fishing places through their presence, initiatives, and sense of belonging. WOFNET has found out that more specifically, by either confirming or challenging longstanding notions of inclusion and exclusion in the fishery, women can both maintain and change fishing places.
>3
Women can actively engage in entrepreneurship in the fishing industry
WOFNET has established that entrepreneurship in the fishing industry can revolve
around processing, selling, or cooking fish and shellfish. The fish that the women add
value to is often caught by a family member – commonly a partner or husband.
WOFNET findings reveal that even if these women comply with the localized gender
norms, they simultaneously find some room to manoeuvre within their entrepreneurship. Through their entrepreneurship, women can perform new forms of femininity which are often celebrated in their own right through this work.
around processing, selling, or cooking fish and shellfish. The fish that the women add
value to is often caught by a family member – commonly a partner or husband.
WOFNET findings reveal that even if these women comply with the localized gender
norms, they simultaneously find some room to manoeuvre within their entrepreneurship. Through their entrepreneurship, women can perform new forms of femininity which are often celebrated in their own right through this work.
>4
Changing the way we understand ‘women in fisheries’
WOFNET research conducted a review of existing literature on women in fishing. This review revealed that new perspectives on women’s fishing lives were needed. WOFNET argued that there is a need to attend to women’s own subjectivities and identities, and to understand women’s lives in a particular context. There is need to attend to women’s lived experiences and research the working conditions of women to get a fuller picture of how an understanding of women in fishing ‘in their own right’ (without subordinating their work as secondary to that of men who fish) can be developed.