Published Paper Details:

Women constitute an important but frequently under-recognized workforce in fisheries and fish marketing. Their participation extends across fish collection, sorting, grading, processing, preservation, transportation, retailing, value addition and local trade. Although women's contribution is particularly significant in the post-harvest segment of the fisheries value chain, their economic and social position remains constrained by limited access to fish, credit, transportation, storage, market infrastructure, technology, information, institutional support and decision-making opportunities. Globally, women represented approximately 62% of workers in the post-harvest fisheries sector, demonstrating their central importance to aquatic food value chains. In India, official fisheries-sector reports similarly recognize women's substantial involvement in post-harvest activities, marketing and value addition. The present paper examines women's participation in the fish marketing value chain, focusing on their socio-economic opportunities, gender-specific constraints and pathways towards sustainable livelihood development. The study is based on a review and synthesis of secondary information obtained from FAO reports, Government of India publications, ICAR sources and peer-reviewed studies on fisherwomen and fish vendors. The analysis indicates that fish marketing can provide women with employment, household income, entrepreneurship opportunities, financial independence, social networking and greater participation in household decision-making. However, informal employment, price uncertainty, inadequate infrastructure, occupational hazards, limited access to institutional credit, competition from larger traders and organized retail, gender discrimination and weak bargaining power continue to restrict their empowerment. Evidence from Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat and other Indian regions shows that women's economic outcomes are strongly influenced by their access to productive resources, social networks, market information and investment capacity. The paper argues that women's empowerment should not be confined to increasing their numerical participation in fish marketing; rather, it should involve improving their ownership of productive assets, control over income, bargaining power, access to institutions, leadership and participation in value-chain governance. Strengthening women's self-help groups and cooperatives, improving market infrastructure, expanding digital and financial inclusion, promoting value-added fish products, improving social protection and occupational safety, and integrating gender-responsive policies can substantially contribute to sustainable livelihood development and a more inclusive fisheries economy.