Contribution of women\u2019s fisheries substantial, but overlooked, in Timor-Leste

Alexander Tilley,Ariadna Burgos,Hampus Eriksson,Joctan Dos Reis Lopes,Agustinha Duarte,David Mills

doi:10.1007/s13280-020-01335-7

Abstract

A greater understanding of gendered roles in fisheries is necessary to value the often-hidden roles that women play in fisheries and households. We examine women’s contributions to household food and income using focus group discussions, market surveys, and landings data in six communities in Timor-Leste. Women were actively fishing more days per month than men. Gleaning was the most frequent activity and 100% of trips returned with catch for food and/or income. Mollusc and crab catches were common and exploitation appeared targeted on a dynamic reappraisal of changing food values and changing estimates of group needs. With as many as 80% of households in coastal areas involved in fishing, and at least 50% of women fishing, this highlights the current lack of women’s engagement as a critical gap in fisheries management approaches. The current androcentric dialogue limits social-ecological understanding of these systems and the potential for their effective stewardship.

Highlights

There is growing recognition that small-scale fisheries (SSF) are an irreplaceable source of food and nutrition to millions of poor people around the world, in coastal regions (Golden et al 2016; Hicks et al 2019; Osterblom et al 2020)
Research that highlights the relationship between fisheries and poverty, the welfare function of fisheries and the role of fisheries in local food security are as important for policy development as fisheries production information (Allison and Mills 2018)
Focus group discussions indicated that women actively fished using one or more gear types in 9 out of 10 locations

Summary

Introduction

There is growing recognition that small-scale fisheries (SSF) are an irreplaceable source of food and nutrition to millions of poor people around the world, in coastal regions (Golden et al 2016; Hicks et al 2019; Osterblom et al 2020). Fisheries in many countries are data blind to women’s contributions (Mills et al 2011; Harper et al 2020), which perpetuates relative or total exclusion from management, and has in several instances led to women’s isolation from the resource on which they depend. Awareness of women’s fisheries catch and effort is a first, but alone not an adequate step, to include women’s voices and consideration of their activities in resource management decisions (Kleiber et al 2014). Gender equal fisheries policy that explicitly strengthens food and nutrition security, depends on our understanding of the magnitude and variability of fisheries’ contributions, and the gendered factors that affect the distribution, access, and use of fisheries resources (Frocklin et al 2014; Weeratunge et al 2014; de la Torre-Castro et al 2017). Research that highlights the relationship between fisheries and poverty, the welfare function of fisheries and the role of fisheries in local food security are as important for policy development as fisheries production information (Allison and Mills 2018)

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