Women in Fisheries Face Gaps Despite Key Economic Role

Women account for 24% of the fisheries workforce in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to FAO, with 62% of them concentrated in seafood processing activities. Despite their participation across the fisheries and aquaculture value chain, women continue to face structural barriers including labor informality, limited access to financing and technology, wage disparities and low representation in decision-making spaces.

The issue is gaining visibility as governments and international organizations push policies tied to sustainable fisheries, food security and inclusive economic development. In Mexico, federal agencies and multilateral organizations are expanding efforts to collect gender-disaggregated data and strengthen public programs targeting women in fisheries and aquaculture.

The topic was discussed during the webinar, Empowering to Transform: Women in Action for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, organized by the FAO as part of its Blue Transformation initiative, which seeks to promote more productive, sustainable, resilient and inclusive aquatic food systems.

“Women in artisanal fisheries are ecosystem managers, guardians of local knowledge and drivers of community economies. Blue Transformation seeks to include them as protagonists, with real access to resources, technology and decision-making power,” said Claudia Brito, Policy Officer and Gender Specialist, FAO.

According to FAO officials, one of the sector’s main challenges remains the lack of statistical visibility. Most countries in the region still lack sex-disaggregated records in fisheries and aquaculture, limiting the development of targeted public policies.

Javier Villanueva, FAO Senior Fisheries and Aquaculture Officer, said that a decade after the adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, gender gaps persist across the sector.

“The XIX COPPESAALC was clear: without sex-disaggregated data, we cannot formulate policies that truly transform women’s conditions in the sector. The first step is making them visible in official records. Gender-focused public policies, investment in data systems, access to sustainable technologies and stronger regional networks are also needed,” Villanueva said.

In Mexico, the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (CONAPESCA), said it is prioritizing support programs for women fishers and aquaculture workers as part of broader federal policies promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum.

According to CONAPESCA, 44,387 women currently receive support through the Bienpesca program, which provides annual financial assistance to fisheries workers. Additionally, 46 women aquaculture producers benefit from a 50% electricity discount for aquaculture operations, while 13 women fishers have obtained preferential loans for marine engines through the Cosechando Soberanía program.

Training has also become a focus area. Conapesca reported that 235 women recently participated in workshops covering cooperative management, tilapia cultivation, value-added production and digital marketing.

Mexico’s Ministry of Women also presented the Participatory Diagnosis of Women in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector, developed with the Mexican Institute for Research in Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture (IMIPAS) and civil organization Marea Sostenible A.C. The study gathered information from 528 women across 24 Mexican states during September 2025.

The findings show that women represent 45.24% of cooperative participation in the sector, while 40.28% work independently and 46.40% use their own tools and equipment, reflecting a significant degree of organization and self-sufficiency.

The study also identified persistent inequalities. Approximately 58% of surveyed women lack access to public healthcare coverage, while income disparities remain significant. According to the report, men in the sector earn between MX$7,780 and MX$8,009 monthly, compared to an average income of MX$3,490 for women.

The report documented women’s participation throughout the fisheries and aquaculture production chain, from pre-production activities such as acquiring supplies and building tools, to fishing, aquaculture production and post-production processes including cleaning, weighing and commercialization. The data collected will support the design of policies aimed at reducing wage gaps and strengthening women’s leadership in cooperatives and sector organizations, with the goal of increasing their participation in industry governance and decision-making.