This paper will focus on the roles women play in aquaculture and the opportunities and challenges that they experience in the Caribbean.
Gender shapes the identities of women and men, their norms, roles and responsibilities. It influences access to resources and decision-making. Aquaculture in the Caribbean is generally considered a male-dominated field. In the Caribbean, women’s roles in aquaculture from research scientists, farmers, processors and aquaculture businesses, are sustaining families and communities. Their role in protecting natural resources and local food security is often glossed over and remains invisible.
Globally, women face persistent gender-based discrimination and marginalization in the aquaculture sector even as women play a crucial role in aquaculture, bringing diverse perspectives and skills that enhance the sector’s sustainability and productivity. Their involvement contributes to improved family welfare, community development, and food security, as women often manage household nutrition and finances. Additionally, gender-inclusive practices in aquaculture lead to more equitable resource distribution and decision-making, fostering innovation and resilience in the industry. Empowering women in this field not only helps bridge the gender gap but also drives economic growth and social progress, ensuring a more balanced and prosperous future for communities dependent on aquaculture.
Caribbean women in aquaculture are poorly represented in associations, cooperatives and unions. Mainstream policies and programmes remain gender-blind or biased and there is a lack of data that clearly defines women’s roles in the aquaculture value chain. For this Women in Caribbean Aquaculture (WiCA) was formed to highlight women’s stories throughout the Caribbean. In this way, WiCA has a mission to identify and monitor key performance indicators at all levels of the technical capacity in aquaculture production including the participation of women and youth.
Through storytelling this paper wants to look at the obstacles that Caribbean women must overcome to leave poverty behind and succeed, and what are the systems that prevent women from holding leadership positions in the aquaculture sector.
Non-profits can help women understand their basic human rights, but we need our governments to engage and become agents of change. Aquaculture in the Caribbean needs well-designed interventions that integrate men and are developed by Caribbean women that have the potential to transform lives not only within the Caribbean but also the world.
Keywords: Women in Aquaculture, Gender, Caribbean aquaculture, aquaculture