From fish to cash: Analyzing the role of women in fisheries in the western region of Ghana

Abstract

Though many publications on women in fisheries in coastal areas are available on a global scale, still little information pertaining to women fisheries in Ghanaian coastal communities exist. This paper is therefore based on the premise that women's roles and contributions to the fishing industry in Ghana are under-recognized, poorly documented and under-acknowledged in management discussions. This study is intended to bring to bear the diverse contributions that women make in Ghanaian fisheries - as womens' needs and interests are often overlooked in interventions and policies. This non-inclusion could lead to policies and interventions missing their target of creating sustainable livelihoods based on marine resources. The objective of this study therefore is to fill an important gap in fisheries management information, critical for decision-making processes geared towards more sustainable ocean-based livelihoods. The primary objective of this paper is to analyse the role of women in fisheries livelihood within the context of their scale of operations and fish distribution networks. Interviews were conducted in two fishing communities in the western region of Ghana to assess the constraints that impede women's development within the fisheries sector, analysing their dependency on the fisheries resource as a livelihood and some interventions proposed for the improvement of their livelihood is discussed.