Women comprise about 47 per cent of the 120 million people who work in the capture fisheries and post-harvest sectors, says the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

It is widely recognized, however, that the importance of their roles is frequently forgotten or underestimated and, as a result, women endure more difficult working conditions and lower wages than the male counterparts do. For example, according to the World Bank, women fry catchers and sorters earn about 64 per cent of what men fry catchers and sorters earn.

There is still a long way to go before the female voice and its demands are loudly heard and taken into real consideration, however, some advances have been made. Among many other things, moving forward has implied consciously acknowledging what women in fisheries have done in the past to break boundaries in a male-dominated sector and what they are currently doing to continue to move towards a more equitable society.

This is why the Sea Around Us researchers decided that, for International Women’s Day, they wanted to share the stories of strong, resilient women who are making their way in the fisheries world.