Zambia has a highly developed fish value chain, dominated by catches from artisanal fishing on natural water bodies, but increasingly also from aquaculture. Most value-chain actors are from the informal, artisanal sector, which makes the trade dynamic, efficient and resilient to change, but also exposes actors to risks that need careful consideration. Women are an integral part of the fish value chain, particularly in the processing and trade of fish , while men predominate in the production (by aquaculture or fishing) and transport of fish. A 2019 baseline survey for the Fish for Food Security in Zambia project suggested that women working as vendors and marketeers in the fish value chain s of Eastern- and Luapula Provinces of Zambia had lower earnings per unit time compared to their male counterparts. In 2022, a more in-depth value chain study was commissioned to understand the gender-based patterns and challenges in these provinces.
A diverse sample of value chain actors (n=330) was interviewed as key-informants at 14 sites in the two provinces, with a focus on places of trade . The results showed remarkable consistency in socio-economic trends between the fish-poor (net-importing) Eastern Province and the water-rich (net-exporting) Luapula Province. Production (fishing on wild fish stocks, but also small-scale aquaculture production) was dominated by male respondents (even though female household members also tend fishponds), as was the transport of fish. Wholesalers of fish were spread evenly across genders, but processors and vendors of fish to the final buyer/consumer was very clearly a female-dominated role.
There were components of the value chain which were clearly dominated by one or the other gender (e.g., men dominating production and transport, while women dominated processing and vending) , while some roles (such as wholesale) were more evenly shared. An income gap between male and female traders was confirmed qualitatively . Factors identified were t ime spent on unpaid work (chores) and unpaid fish processing, selling on behalf of male relatives who produce the fish through fishing or aquaculture, more optimal selling times (early morning) for male traders (while women are still conducting family chores), as well as lost trading days due to menstrual cycles and inadequate and inappropriate sanitary facilities at markets . Interventions to reduce this inequality are explored.
Keywords:
*Fish value chain*Fish processing*Fish trade*Zambia*Gender roles*Livelihoods*