Call to action? Survey highlights the shortcomings of business-as-usual in addressing gender equality in the fishery sector

In the fishery sector, too little attention is paid to gender equality, and gender-blind policies and programmes render the issue as peripheral or invisible. Since 1990, the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) has paid sustained attention to gender, although at a modest level. In order to gauge how the sm...

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Main Authors: Williams, Meryl J., Choo, Poh Sze
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Asian Fisheries Society 2014
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/32554/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/32554/1/52.%20Call%20to%20action.pdf
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author Williams, Meryl J.
Choo, Poh Sze
author_facet Williams, Meryl J.
Choo, Poh Sze
author_sort Williams, Meryl J.
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description In the fishery sector, too little attention is paid to gender equality, and gender-blind policies and programmes render the issue as peripheral or invisible. Since 1990, the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) has paid sustained attention to gender, although at a modest level. In order to gauge how the small cadre of gender experts perceived progress in mobilising attention and action on gender in fisheries, we conducted an online structured survey. Using Actor Network Theory as the questionnaire framework, we analysed the responses from 41 experts. The respondents perceived that the understanding of the gender inequality issues has progressed well but the strategic messages arising are not communicated strongly nor well targeted. Few workers, and even fewer full time professionals, are dedicated to the field of gender research and action, and research is not well linked to grassroots needs. Therefore, the field suffers from weak efforts to enroll more champions, leaders and actors and reach critical mass for mobilisation for gender equality. For mobilisation to happen, targeted, dedicated resources are urgently needed, including full time people, institutional support and projects. To achieve this will require strong, perhaps even confrontational, campaigns and plans, from within the fishery sector, led by a self-nominated core group of committed women and men concerned with inequality in the fishery sector.
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spelling upm-325542015-09-30T06:58:20Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/32554/ Call to action? Survey highlights the shortcomings of business-as-usual in addressing gender equality in the fishery sector Williams, Meryl J. Choo, Poh Sze In the fishery sector, too little attention is paid to gender equality, and gender-blind policies and programmes render the issue as peripheral or invisible. Since 1990, the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) has paid sustained attention to gender, although at a modest level. In order to gauge how the small cadre of gender experts perceived progress in mobilising attention and action on gender in fisheries, we conducted an online structured survey. Using Actor Network Theory as the questionnaire framework, we analysed the responses from 41 experts. The respondents perceived that the understanding of the gender inequality issues has progressed well but the strategic messages arising are not communicated strongly nor well targeted. Few workers, and even fewer full time professionals, are dedicated to the field of gender research and action, and research is not well linked to grassroots needs. Therefore, the field suffers from weak efforts to enroll more champions, leaders and actors and reach critical mass for mobilisation for gender equality. For mobilisation to happen, targeted, dedicated resources are urgently needed, including full time people, institutional support and projects. To achieve this will require strong, perhaps even confrontational, campaigns and plans, from within the fishery sector, led by a self-nominated core group of committed women and men concerned with inequality in the fishery sector. Asian Fisheries Society 2014 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/32554/1/52.%20Call%20to%20action.pdf Williams, Meryl J. and Choo, Poh Sze (2014) Call to action? Survey highlights the shortcomings of business-as-usual in addressing gender equality in the fishery sector. Asian Fisheries Science, 27 (S). pp. 233-248. ISSN 0116-6514 http://www.asianfisheriessociety.org/publication/downloadfile.php?id=1039&file=WTBkU2JVeDZRVEJPYW1NelRtcFpkMDFFUlRCTlZHY3lUMVJqZUU5RWEzVmpSMUp0VFdwQmVFNVVRVFZOZWtFOQ==&dldname=Call%20to%20Action?%20Survey%20Highlights%20the%20Shortcomings%20of%20Business-
spellingShingle Williams, Meryl J.
Choo, Poh Sze
Call to action? Survey highlights the shortcomings of business-as-usual in addressing gender equality in the fishery sector
title Call to action? Survey highlights the shortcomings of business-as-usual in addressing gender equality in the fishery sector
title_full Call to action? Survey highlights the shortcomings of business-as-usual in addressing gender equality in the fishery sector
title_fullStr Call to action? Survey highlights the shortcomings of business-as-usual in addressing gender equality in the fishery sector
title_full_unstemmed Call to action? Survey highlights the shortcomings of business-as-usual in addressing gender equality in the fishery sector
title_short Call to action? Survey highlights the shortcomings of business-as-usual in addressing gender equality in the fishery sector
title_sort call to action? survey highlights the shortcomings of business-as-usual in addressing gender equality in the fishery sector
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/32554/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/32554/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/32554/1/52.%20Call%20to%20action.pdf