With the passage of time, the greater participation of women in the fishing has modified gender roles, stereotypes, social rules, uses and customs, increasing its contribution in the value chain of the pfishing and aquaculture productsa fundamental task for this economic activity.
According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO for its acronym in English) on the planet 19 percent of the people directly employed by the fishing and up to 50 percent of the post-capture workforce in the artisanal fishingeven reaching 90 percent in some fisheries.
In our country more than 22 thousand are dedicated to fishing and aquaculture, 72 percent corresponds to primary production and 28 percent to processing. More than 6,200 women are the workforce responsible for the processing of shrimp, tuna, sardines, fish, among others. His specialized and highly qualified performance stands out.
This contribution represents 45 percent of the total number of people (men and women) who work in this activity.
Worldwide, women represent 50% of the people who work in the fishing sector. They are in charge of providing inputs, extracting and cultivating species, processing and marketing them.
In Sinaloa and in our fishing fields the figures are similar, we see more and more women assuming leadership in the integration of cooperatives and enterprises related to fishing and aquaculture. This is the value of women's contribution to fishing activity in its different stages.
On the other hand, the conditions of equality and equity are far from being an achievement for them. Despite their valuable collaboration, they still have to face social limitations, lag in the support provided by government institutions for the sector and rejection by the federations that bring together fishermen, which minimize the work of women.
Among the main challenges is the wage gap, since many must work partially to take care of home care roles, reducing their economic income.
In addition to these circumstances, female fishermen encounter many obstacles when requesting to be included in the registers to receive marine motors, pangas and other subsidies, which are mainly allocated to cooperatives led and integrated by men. The future of fishing is uncertain, the new generations do not see an attraction in this profession, the harsh working conditions and the minimum support for the growth and marketing of products generate discouragement.
Within the framework of the commemorations for International Women's Day, it is worth taking the time to recognize their great work and contribution to the fishing and aquaculture sector.
Let us recognize the inequalities they face and reflect on what we can do so that their participation is respected and supported every day of the year.
More from the same author:
#women39s #work #fishing