The Regional Plan of Action to promote responsible fishing practices including combating IUU fishing (RPOA-IUU) secretariat received an invitation from the Australian Government to attend the Women in Fisheries Workshop, in collaboration with SEAFDEC, which was held from 14 to 16 May 2024 face-to-face in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop was attended by the representative of the RPOA-IUU focal points from Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam. During the sharing session, the representatives Viet Nam and Papua New Guinea shared their insights about the role of women in the Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) sectors. They highlighted that Viet Nam and Papua New Guinea have developed national legislation to regulate gender equity in the fisheries sectors. Other attending countries resonate that they have implemented gender equity and social inclusion for MCS and fisheries-relevant fields. However, limited support from agencies and resources and a sceptical mindset of women’s involvement in male areas hinder the process.
Rose Martin, Gender and Social Inclusion Adviser from the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) shared the disparities and gaps in GESI implementation and women’s contribution to tuna fisheries. It includes unskilled women, low-paying jobs, and fewer women’s involvement in management, technical, and scientific roles. To overcome this situation, she suggested that targeted support and capacity building will help the improvement of women’s well-being and welfare.
At the end of the discussion, there was an exploration session to gather ideas on the concept of a network for women in fisheries. The purpose of this network serve as a beneficial avenue for empowering female MCS officers dedicated to IUU fishing eradication in Southeast Asia. This network is expected to be embedded within the RPOA-IUU structure. The network also offers several good initiatives to enhance women’s capacity, for instance, capacity-building, information-sharing, and an online resource library.
The RPOA-IUU secretariat offers commitment and support for any good initiatives for the region.
“when we talk about the inclusion, there is no opportunity to feel unsafed and undervalued for humanity”
