Bangladesh is an agrarian developing country with abundant natural fisheries resources. If a significant portion of Bangladesh’s ponds can be used for aquaculture, the fisher industry’s sustainability can be secured. Women in rural households may play an important role in this case, which are frequently overlooked. Fish culture activities are typically performed by men, but there is ample opportunity for women to participate in pond fish culture in Bangladesh.
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
