Fifty percent of people that bring seafood to our tables are women and the fishing industry has been described as “male-dominated but female-intensive.” Regardless, women are significantly underrepresented in management and decision-making roles, their invaluable contributions to the sector are unacknowledged, and how they participate in seafood supply chains is insufficiently researched. In the seafood sector, women and their contributions, skills, and knowledge are invisible.
To address a lack of gender equality and women’s empowerment, Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) was launched in 2020 with a mission to uplift and amplify diverse voices in the seafood sector. To achieve our mission, we have implemented a comprehensive communications strategy since our inception to build platforms showcasing the efforts of women and gender minorities in the sector.
The podcast is becoming one of the most popular and accessible formats for sharing information and raising awareness about an issue with huge audiences. Research conducted by Statista in 2019 estimates that the number of Americans who listen to podcasts at least occasionally is 86 million and Edison Research found that about 60% of Americans listening to podcasts use this medium to stay in touch with the latest news. Recognizing this powerful medium, SAGE launched The Conch podcast in 2021 to increase the visibility of women and gender minorities in the sector, with interviews featuring the most inspiring people in the world of seafood, striving to succeed, as well as those already making an impact - all while working to improve the environmental and social responsibility of the planet’s most incredible food source - seafood.
This talk will feature reflections on the challenges and advantages of creating a communications strategy for a start-up focused on gender equality in an industry where women and gender minorities are the invisible backbone. We will dive deeper into the podcast as a powerful tool in a comprehensive communications strategy and share lessons learned, emphasizing that everyone can use this tool for effective, far reaching, and impactful communications.