Quarterly newsletter from WorldFish: May 2026 (Issue 3)
Content
Opening message
“Progress in gender equality is not only measured by participation, but by the extent to which women are able to influence decisions, access resources, and shape the systems they are part of.”
Across aquatic food systems, women continue to play central rolesas fish farmers, processors, traders, and leaders within their communities. Yet, in many contexts their contributions remain undervalued, and their influence over opportunities and decision-making is still limited.
This issue of GENDER Gains brings together strides taken to promote inclusivity at systems and programmatic levels along with stories and emerging insights from across regions, reflecting the diversity of experiences in fisheries and aquatic systems. From field innovations to ongoing research, these contributions highlight both the progress being made and the persistent challenges that continue to shape gender equality outcomes.
2026 designated as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, presents an important opportunity to elevate women’s roles across food systems, including aquatic food systems. For WorldFish, this moment closely aligns with our work, where women are actively engaged across the value chain, contributing to food security, nutrition, and community resilience.
In this spirit, we invite you to engage with the stories and insights shared in this issue, and to join us in advancing inclusive, resilient, and equitable aquatic food systems.
Rahma Adam
WorldFish Senior Scientist, Social & Economic Inclusion Impact Area Lead and Acting Kenya Country Representative
Policy & Influence
Tanzania Endorses Inclusive Roadmap for Aquatic Food Systems
by Rahma Adam
Tanzania has endorsed a national roadmap to guide the development of inclusive aquatic food systems, following a multi-stakeholder workshop in Dar es Salaam. The process brought together government, research institutions, development partners, private sector actors, and communities.
The roadmap outlines priority actions, including climate-smart aquaculture, improved fish genetics, strengthened market systems, and reduced post-harvest losses. It also highlights gender equality, youth participation, and disability inclusion as essential to ensuring equitable benefits across the sector.
From Participation to Power: Rethinking Women’s Roles in Food Systems
by Esther Mweru
Women are central to food systems across the Middle East and North Africa, yet increased participation does not always translate into greater influence or decision making power. This gap was at the heart of discussions during a regional workshop convened by CGIAR’s Gender Equality and Inclusion Accelerator.
Participants reflected on how women’s roles are expanding across food systems, but often remain concentrated in low paid and informal work, with limited access to resources, leadership, and recognition. The conversations pointed to the need to move beyond participation toward approaches that strengthen women’s agency and influence.
Country Program Highlights
Leading the Waves: How Women are Shaping Aquatic Food Systems in Timor-Leste
By Ana Mendes Pinto da Silva, Thijs Schut, and Esther Mweru
In Timor-Leste, women are deeply engaged in aquatic food systems, from fishing and gleaning to seaweed farming and aquaculture. Their work supports household nutrition and contributes to local markets, yet it often takes place within constraints that limit access to resources, services, and decision making.
Through the IkanAdapt initiative, women are gaining improved access to climate information, training, and inputs, enabling them to better respond to changing environmental conditions and sustain their livelihoods.
Closing the Climate Information Gap for Women
By Raksa Sok and Esther Mweru
In Kampong Thom, Cambodia, climate variability is increasingly affecting rice farming and fish refuge management, with erratic rainfall, drought, and flooding disrupting livelihoods. Yet access to timely and reliable climate information remains uneven, particularly for rural communities.
Through targeted interventions, women are stepping into new roles as climate information connectors, using digital tools such as the Mekong Farm application to interpret and share weather forecasts and advisories within their communities. This is enabling more informed decision making and helping reduce climate related risks.
Building Skills for More Viable Seaweed Farming on Kenya’s Coast
By Esther Magondu and Esther Mweru
In Kwale County, Kenya, 100 seaweed farmers from Kibuyuni, Kijiweni, and Changai came together for a two-day training under the Asia–Africa BlueTech Superhighway project, with women making up the majority of participants.
The training connected production challenges with practical business and market solutions, including improved drying, quality control, record-keeping, cooperative marketing, and buyer linkages. Farmers reflected on how stronger organization and better post-harvest practices can help make seaweed farming a more viable livelihood for women, men, and young people in coastal communities.
Advancing Inclusive Aquatic Food Systems: Reflections from the Regional GEDSI Workshop in Tanzania
By Sara Bonilla Anariba
From 18–19 February 2026, stakeholders from the Asia-Africa BlueTech Superhighway (AABS) convened in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for a regional workshop on Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in aquatic food systems. The workshop brought together actors from government, academia, civil society, and development partners to strengthen inclusive approaches in fisheries and aquaculture.
Importantly, the workshop went beyond diagnosis to co-design solutions. Participants developed country-specific GEDSI Action Plans, outlining concrete priorities, partnerships, and indicators aligned with inclusive development goals. These were integrated into a Regional GEDSI Collaboration Framework to support cross-country learning, coordination, and accountability.
A key outcome was the establishment of a regional community of practice to sustain momentum through peer learning, knowledge sharing, and joint advocacy. The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment to advancing inclusive aquatic food systems as a pathway to stronger, more resilient blue economies.
Linking Innovation and Inclusion in Nigeria’s Aquatic Food Systems
By Sara Bonilla Anariba
On 16 March 2026, stakeholders from across Nigeria convened in Lagos for the AABS Year Three Review and Learning Workshop. Bringing together government, research, private sector, and development partners, the workshop reflected on progress and explored pathways for scaling sustainable aquatic food systems.
Discussions highlighted the potential of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) to strengthen livelihoods, productivity, and environmental sustainability. At the same time, participants emphasized that technical innovation alone is not sufficient, calling for stronger integration of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI).
A key takeaway was the importance of context. Nigeria’s diversity requires flexible, locally grounded approaches rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to mainstream GEDSI, strengthen capacity, and foster collaboration to scale inclusive impact.
NEW STUDIES AND PUBLICATIONS
ZAMBIA
Gender-Responsive and Socially Inclusive Fish Genetic Improvement in the SADC Region: Guidelines for Improved tilapia Strains
This recent publication present guidelines for gender-responsive and socially inclusive fish genetic improvement programs in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. It highlights that gender-responsive programs can benefit women by enhancing their livelihoods, nutrition and economic empowerment. The authors note that women are actively engaged in aquaculture. However, they often face constraints, including limited access to credit, land, technologies and extension services.
Nigeria and Tanzania
In this recent bi-lingual publication, the authors examine fish food systems in Ogun State, Nigeria, and Muleba District, Tanzania, to understand how context shapes women’s motivations and approaches to challenging discriminatory gender norms and taboos. The study highlights that women actively navigate social and economic constraints, using locally grounded strategies to improve their livelihoods and build resilience to climate change. It finds that periods of shifting material conditions can create opportunities for more gender-equal transformation, and that efforts to support change are more effective when they build on locally developed practices that are closely aligned with social and cultural contexts.
Pathways to Gender Equality and Empowerment
A new agenda-setting brief for the Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods (SAAF) Science Program (2025–2030) outlines six pathways to enhance gender equality, women’s empowerment, and youth inclusion in animal and aquatic food systems.
The brief presents Gender Equality and Social Inclusion solutions which range from accommodative to transformative through norm changes.
It also highlights key areas for research and action, including gender-transformative approaches, inclusive governance and policy, equitable livelihoods, resilience in fragile contexts, youth engagement, and inclusive consumption of nutritious foods.