Recognizing Indonesian fisherwomen’s roles in fishery resource management: profile, policy, and strategy for economic empowerment

ABSTRACT

This study examines the role of fisherwomen in fishery resource management in Talaud Island District, North Sulawesi District, Indonesia. Several focus group discussions, interviews and questionnaires with fisherwomen and fishermen community as well as relevant stakeholders in Talaud Islands were conducted to collect data about the issue. The results of the research show that most of the fisherwomen in the particular area earn a living as collecting mussels, making and repairing nets, trading fish, and processing fish products. Trading and processing are the sub-sectors where women’s roles are over-represented which are low-grade unskilled jobs. However, the paper argues that the contribution of women in the fisheries sector has not been adequately reflected in policies and not yet transformed into women’s economic empowerment. The paper concludes that women’s roles and contribution to fishery family welfare and national development must be recognized by relevant government agencies and accomodated in national and local policies. These roles also should be transformed to women’s economic empowerment.

KEYWORDS:

• Economic empowerment
• fisherwomen
• Indonesia
• fishery resource management
• Talaud Islands

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank the Indonesian Institute of Sciences for funding the research entitled “Strategy of Border Area Development through Gender-based Natural Resource Management” from 2012–2014. They would also like to deliver appreciation to the team members and all informants who have shared information and documents, especially the government of Talaud Islands District, National Border Management Agency and BPS-Statistics Indonesia. The authors assume full responsibility for the content.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.