Until recently, Australia had little data on women’s contributions to the seafood industry and the roles women play. Furthermore, there was little industry-wide understanding of women’s experiences working in the industry, if and where there are inequalities and gendered differences in experiences, and where barriers lie to women fully participating and progressing in the industry.
In 2021-22, Women in Seafood Australasia (WISA) and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation funded research to comprehensively understand women’s participation and engagement in the seafood industry, an industry that currently needs to attract new entrants and retain them.
The research questions were:
This national project used a combination of data sources, including Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data, in depth key informant interviews, and an online survey, to reveal answers to these questions first asked by WISA twenty years ago.
This presentation will present the findings of this research within the context of the Australian aquaculture industry, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for women in aquaculture.
The presentation will form part of a think-tank session chaired by WISA, where we look deeper into the barriers women face to participate and reach their full potential in aquaculture, and towards solutions – what can individuals, small and large businesses and organisations do to attract and retain women in aquaculture? We will discuss the deeper tensions for businesses and organisations to make change, opportunities for increasing the attractiveness of the aquaculture industry to women and other under-represented groups