African countries are promoting aquaculture as one of the prime drivers of the rural economy and the employment of women and youth. The industry is criticized for inadequately representing the needs of women and workplace gender equality. Most African countries, however, are willing to advance the aquaculture industry goals through employment practices promoting gender equality. Hence, this paper investigates whether aquaculture employment governance promotes legislations that enhance gender employment equality and opportunity.
A survey of 84 private aquaculture enterprises was conducted in ten African countries (Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia) from November 2021 through September 2022. Data on production trends and spatial distribution of industries were reviewed to select farms or operations representing each country’s industry. The structured interview guide focused on recruitment and employment, employee characteristics, demographic distribution, qualifications, working conditions, and property rights. The data collected were synthesized and analyzed to establish differences in gender participation along the supply chain.
The results show that the individuals employed in the aquaculture labour force are young and dominated by men 15 to 35 years old. The gender gap in workers employed in aquaculture is broader than that of the average global gap between the aquaculture workforce and those used in the country’s workforce. The most significant gap is Rwanda (106.61), and the lowest is Egypt (22.85). School attendance and graduation rates illustrate a wide educational gap between young men and women, creating a gender imbalance. The level of education and biases in employment seem to reduce women’s participation in the aquaculture labor workforce. The proportion of individuals surveyed had some higher education or completed high school, but women had a lower educational attainment than men. Women are under-represented at the higher nodes of the supply chain, and the divulged reason is a lack of education. In administrative support, the ratio of men to women in 2022 was 52.8:47.2, close to a 50:50 split. Women dominated administrative support in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia. Most women are employed in post-harvest activities and as office administrators. Men were far more dominant as technicians with a ratio of 93.5:6.5. It would be expected that women would dominate the labor classification since they are heavily recruited for processing and trade, but this was not the case since men also dominated the labor class at 83.6:16.4. All aquaculture workers receive at least the minimum pay with additional bonuses, comparable to men doing the same job. Accommodation limits women’s participation in cage culture because of the distance away from home. In most instances, women choose part-time or occasional employment because only three countries, Ghana, South Africa, and Zambia, grant maternity leave to employees. Ghana also provides paternity leave. South Africa is the only country that grants a mother a nursing break. The future of women’s employment depends on the growth in women registered at institutions of higher learning in the field or related aquaculture fields since all countries encourage women’s participation in the workforce despite resource accessibility.