1.1 Introduction
Fishing is often seen as a masculine activity, especially when it involves seas or rivers but women play important roles in maintaining equipment, processing and marketing of the fish even though women’s roles are often less acknowledged (Nunan and Scoones, 2017). Fisheries sector is an important source of food and livelihood for many people around the world (Cheke et al., 2012). The engagement of women is particularly in coastal communities, as women represent almost 50% of the total workforce engaged in fisheries around the world, though women have been generally overlooked in marine conservation and fisheries management in developing countries (Siason et al., 2010). Fish provides a vital source of protein and income for many families in the developing countries (Kolawole et al., 2010).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
The Fisheries subsector is a significant source of fish food and livelihood for many people living in the coastal communities as it supplies animal protein necessary for growth and income. However, it has become clear that the challenges women are facing needs to be addressed and evaluated at their various levels. There is enormous need to study the challenges of artisanal women fisherfolks as they are regarded as the backbone of aquaculture. The engagement of women is particularly in coastal communities as women represent almost 50% of the total workforce engaged in fisheries around the world though have been generally overlooked in marine conservation and fisheries management in developing countries (Robinson, 2000).
In Africa particularly around the great lakes women have been participating more actively in promoting hygienic and food (fish) safety aspects of the landing sites (Den de pryck, 2012) but the focus has been mainly on post harvest roles. In Gambia, women have been involved with the National fisheries post harvest operators platform and participated in the formulation of fisheries Act (FAO, 2012). The World Bank, FAO and World fisheries (2012) found out that women make up to 47% of the fisheries supply chain workers, which is equal to about 56 million jobs in the harvest, and post harvest sectors.
Just in the harvest sector, FAO (2012) estimated that 5.4 million women worked either as fishers or fish farmers. Women account for half of the workforce in inland fisheries while in Asia and women market West Africa, 60 percent of the seafood. FAO (2012) also estimated that at least 30 percent of the people employed in fisheries (harvest and post harvest were women with regards to FAO (2008) majority of fishers (womenfolk’s) are poor, small scale fishers, their poverty and challenges encompasses more than just low income: It includes land ownership, high degree of indebtedness, poor access to health, education and financial capital and political and geographical marginalization. Fishing is often seen as a male activity, especially where this involves boats, equipment and long absences at sea or river but women play key roles in maintaining equipment, processing and marketing of the fish even though women roles are often less acknowledged. In Africa, for example women are charged with 80 percent of the food security (Mandosela, 2002) and 90 percent of the water security in rural and coastal communities (GWA, 2006).
Women are crucial to fisheries and aquaculture sector worldwide, fisheries and aquaculture production activities provide an estimated 155million people of whom a substantial proportion is female in developing countries as most fishing activities fall into the small scale fisheries sector employing roughly 37 million people and directly affecting the livelihood, poverty prevention and alleviation and food security of approximately 357 million others. Women play important roles in fisheries and in maintaining households and communities. Although fish production is traditionally considered as masculine enterprise, women’s role in fisheries is complementary and crucial (Di Ciommo and Schiavetti, 2012).
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to identify the Challenges of Women Involved in Aquacultural Activities.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that despite the strenuous and pervasive involvement of women in fisheries activities, the women invaluable contribution is often overlooked and undocumented. Several cultural/traditional forces have been used in the past to keep women away from the fishing trade (Geheb et al., 2008). Also much work have not been done on the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats of the women fisher folks engaged in aquacultural activities in rural and coastal populated fishing areas in Anambra state.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to evaluate the challenges of women in aquacultural activities in the are under study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To determine the socio-economic characteristics of the women involved in aquacultural activities in the study area.
- To highlight the roles and potentials of women across small-scale fisheries and aquaculture development in the study area.
- To identify the strengths and the opportunities available for the women fisher folks to counteract their weaknesses and threats limiting their efficiency and potentials in the study area.
- To proffer appropriate recommendations to overcome the challenges.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What are the socio-economic characteristics of the women involved in aquacultural activities in the study area?
- What are the roles and potentials of women across small-scale fisheries and aquaculture development in the study area?
- What are the strengths and the opportunities available for the women fisherfolks to counteract their weaknesses and threats limiting their efficiency and potentials in the study area?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There is no significant challenging factor inhibiting the women involvement in aquacultural activities
- H1: There is a significant challenging factor inhibiting the women involvement in aquacultural activities
1.7 Significance of Study
This study will be of great benefits to the women and their stakeholders which include the rural and the urban female fish farmers in Anambra state and Nigeria as a whole.
- The study will also help to highlight the unequal gender relations within and outside the household and organization of fisheries and its resources.
- This study will bring to light the roles and potentials of women involved in small scale fisheries and aquaculture as much work have not been levelled to the challenges of women involved in aquacultural activities in the study area.
- This study will also enable the federal Government and state to create empowerment, adequate policies and programmes, adequate credit facilities to the women fisherfolks to ensure increased fish production, sustainability of poverty alleviation and natural resource management in coastal fishing communities.
- This study will also help to identify the women fisherfolks strength in the view of overcoming their weakness and ensure that the women's role in the fisheries sector do not remain invisible and the need to increase their right to participate in decision making processes with respect to fisheries planning management in as much to explore their opportunities so as to tackle their threats in the study area.
- The result of the study will also serve as a source of reference and guide to other researchers who wish to do similar work on this topic in future.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Challenges of Women Involved in Aquacultural Activities. The study is restricted to the women of Anambra State in Nigeria.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
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