Despite facing numbers of physical issues such as stomach pain, shortness of breath, fever, sneezing, coughs, and various skin ailments, these poverty-stricken women persevere in their work, knowing that it’s a crucial source of sustenance for their families. The irony lies in the fact that their labor-intensive efforts are rewarded with meager compensation. In exchange of their time consuming hard labor they get a nominal amount per kilogram of shrimp peeling, often as low as USD $0.09 or the peeled shrimp heads (which can be sold USD $0.11-$0.12 per KG at retail price in local community) .

Climate change has exacerbated the challenges faced by these coastal communities, affecting agriculture, biodiversity, the environment, and public health. The repercussions are particularly harsh on women, putting their reproductive health and overall well-being at serious risk. The global theme for Women’s Day 2023 by the United Nation, ‘Digital Technology and Innovation, Ending Gender Discrimination,’ underscores the need for gender equality and innovation in sustainable development. However, ground realities reveal that gender equality remains elusive on the coast, with women’s health rights hanging in the balance.

In Patharghata upazila, climate change has intensified poverty, driven by landlessness, increasing water salinity and pointing out the imbalance of women rights. Global warming and environmental degradation have far-reaching impacts, with dwindling freshwater sources and rising sea levels. Women bear the brunt, having to walk long distances and queue for hours at a few available tube wells.

Engaged in various activities such as fish/shrimp selection, peeling, drying, and fishing, women in the largest fish landing center are grappling with discrimination and inadequate wages. Their toil contributes significantly to the fishing industry, yet their compensation doesn’t reflect the strenuous nature of their work.

Several women shared their experiences, highlighting the daily challenges they face. Rehena Begum, Sahida Begum, and Rexna Begum, involved in fish selection, described their relentless work, earning meager amounts per kilogram of fish or, at times, shrimp heads. Mariam Begum, a mother of three, narrated her struggles as a single mother, emphasizing the difficulty of working in harsh winter conditions. Aleya Begum and Pushp Bala revealed the toll on their health, with damaged skin and the relentless task of picking fish daily.

Amid the adversities of the climate change, women rights are being overlooked here. Though it should be rather emphasized the need for new government initiatives to address the challenges faced by coastal communities, especially women and address health risks, ensuring fair wages for women workers. The government should take the spearhead initiatives for the livelihoods of coastal women, addressing issues of discrimination and wage inequality.

The plight of coastal women persists, accentuated by the impacts of climate change, making it imperative for comprehensive and equitable interventions to uplift these communities.

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During a national dialogue titled ‘Position of Women Workers in Shrimp Industry: Reality and Actions,’ organized by the non-governmental organization LEDARS (Local Environment Development and Agricultural Research Society) at JS Bhaban, Tuku emphasized that when employers prioritize workers’ interests, workers reciprocate. Therefore, a collective effort is necessary to resolve various issues through effective strategies.

Nikhil Chandra Bhadra, Coordinator of the Sundarbans and Coastal Protection Movement, chaired the event, which featured Deputy Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change Habibun Nahar and Member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Labour and Employment Begum Shamsun Nahar as special guests. LEDARS Executive Director Mohan Kumar Mondal presented the keynote paper.

Several other speakers, including Sharif Jamil, Coordinator of Waterkeepers-Bangladesh; Mir Mohammad Ali, Assistant Professor of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University; Halima Begum, Project officer of Ministry of Women and Child Affairs; Rafiqul Islam Azad, former president of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU); Shahajadi Begum, Oxfam representative; and Aminur Rasul Babul, joint secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), also participated in the discussion.

Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku expressed concerns about the challenges faced by the shrimp sector, a significant contributor to the country’s foreign exchange. He highlighted that women workers in the industry experience various forms of oppression and stressed the importance of ensuring the rights of these marginalized women for the sake of national development.

Tuku also emphasized the need to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women to empower them economically and politically. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Habibur Nahar acknowledged the challenges in the shrimp sector, such as decreasing numbers of women workers due to low wages and long working hours compared to men. She assured that the government is actively working to address these ongoing issues.

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Scopes of women involvement in fisheries sector:

Women can participate in fisheries activities after fulfilling their traditional household responsibilities. This allows their male counterparts to work elsewhere, while allowing women to supplement the family income. Women are essential at every stage of the value chain in small-scale fisheries. Their most well-known roles include fish processing and marketing, as well as participation in fisheries resource management and decision-making.

Rural women make significant contributions to seasonal fish drying, processing and manufacturing. Women are also involved in activities such as fingerling sorting, fishing gear repair and maintenance, fish processing, and transportation. Women’s complementary roles are changing, and activities such as feeding and other management activities for aquaculture such as marketing are increasing.

Farmers in Bangladesh’s southern region were primarily engaged in commercial shrimp and fish culture, as well as homestead aquaculture. Ponds in homestead areas were important resources for fish culture in both freshwater and coastal areas of Bangladesh’s southern region, with a high potential for female participation. Homestead aquaculture involves more households than commercial shrimp or fish culture. Women were drawn to homestead aquaculture because of the simpler technologies, low levels of investment, proximity of ponds to homes, and lower levels of production risk. Small-scale aquaculture in homestead areas blended well with existing cultural norms for women, resulting in higher levels of participation.

Women are also more aware than men of the advantages of harvesting small fish from homestead ponds for household consumption on a regular basis. Aquaculture can be an integral component of development in poor rural communities, contributing to sustainable livelihoods and improving social well-being. Women’s pond fish culture has thus significantly contributed to food security, income generation, trade, and improved living standards in many other developing countries.

Steps of organizations to empower women:

Government policy in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors reflects the lack of formal recognition of women’s work. This lack of recognition is the primary cause of women’s exclusion from government programs and schemes, as well as from work regulation. Govt. tried to active women in outdoor activities through providing loans, incentives, and training. Besides GOs, different NGOs (WorldFish, SDF etc.) also try to provide different capacity build up training related to the fisheries sector such as fish culture technique, safe and hygienic dry fish production technique.

Understanding the role of women in sustainable fisheries development is critical to ensuring food security, income generation, trade, and improved living standards in many developing countries. Their involvement in pond fish culture is one issue that must be addressed when dealing with rural communities and poverty alleviation among rural women.

Farhana Islam
Agriculturist, Researcher
Fisheries Resource Management, CVASU

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The Challenges
Climate change increases the frequency and intensity of floods and cyclones in the southwestern region of Bangladesh. These incidents have left a damaging impression on the poorest residents of coastal communities, particularly women. These poverty oppressed women have limited access to resources and assets, limited mobility, food insecurity, low awareness, and weak social networks.

As a result of climate change, more men are relocating to cities in search of employment, leaving women in rural areas with little or no money to support their families. In many homes, women are prohibited from working because of their domestic duties or conservative social values. The low negotiating power of women in the home prevents them from utilizing and gaining access to family resources and making significant decisions.

Poverty stricken women in coastal regions those required to work, must compete with men for remaining jobs available in the villages. In addition, women are paid less than men. Their already meager income has been considerably diminished by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Numerous women in coastal areas are illiterate, that limiting their access to opportunities to generate income. Several social and religious norm-based restrictions also exist for women. In many families, the abuse of women and children escalates due to economic hardship, which also leads to child marriage.

The picture is not different in the industrial sector. In the shrimp processing plants, women perform 8-to-10-hour shifts standing in cold temperatures. Their hands are frequently irritated by the sharp edges of the shrimp and the ice used to pack them. At work, persistent gender preconceptions prevent women from being promoted to more senior positions, such as supervisors, which means they earn significantly less than males. For example, 80% of workers at shrimp processing factories are female. In contrast, less than one percent of these factories’ managers are female.

The prospect
One-fifth of the world’s aquaculture production is concentrated in Bangladesh, where women account for an estimated 1.4 million. Women are gradually becoming involved in all facets of shrimp farming, from planning to implementation, pond excavation to fish sales, prawn or shrimp fry gathering to processing and export, and even net construction to fish drying. In southwest Bangladesh, over 30% of women are active in shrimp farming.

According to Fisheries Resources Survey System (FRSS) data, Bangladesh has around 4,43,024 shrimp fry collectors and 1,441 fish spawn or fish fry collectors. The majority of fry collectors are women and children. This fry collection work offers part-time employment opportunities to low-income households.

In the fish processing facilities of the regions of Khulna and Cox’s Bazar, a high number of women are employed. Furthermore, their involvement is growing daily. Female members of fishing families in bils, haors, baors, and floodplains contribute to the creation of nets, fishing traps, and even the marketing/selling of shrimps.

When women participate in paid work in shrimp farming, income is the key benefit, resulting in increased purchasing power and financial independence. Involvement in shrimp culture also contributes to certain aspects of women social empowerment. In particular, it contributes to the expansion of certain women’s human and social capital through increases in self-esteem, confidence, admiration, and respect from their husbands in relation to generating income.

GO and NGO initiatives increased women’s engagement in shrimp farming and other fisheries-related industries. Participating in the management of fish nurseries in various projects aided by NGOs, the women demonstrated their efficacy. Grameen fish foundation’s Jamuna Boropit fish culture programs included 100% women, making it one of the most renowned examples of women empowerment in shrimp sector.

Epilogue

In today’s progressing world, the term “women empowerment” is not a topic of argument. Rather we must consider the path to empower the women, and the shrimp industry is one of the most well-known viable paths.

Bangladesh has a long history of women’s participation in fisheries, but more can be done to incorporate them at all levels of business. Women can contribute to various stage of the value chain, including fishing, handling and processing to decision making in business. Increasing women’s engagement in the shrimp industry can provide a sustainable way to eradicate the poverty from the society. In other words, the only way to accomplish sustainability in the coastal belt is to empower women. And it entails assisting them in gaining access to skills, resources, expertise and information. It involves empowering women to make crucial decisions for themselves and their families.

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