Empowering women in fisheries value chains

Abstract

The Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the financial support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), promotes the sharing of information, experiences, good practices, success stories and lessons learned in small-scale and artisanal coastal fisheries, to make them more sustainable as well as profitable for the communities that depend on them. This effort to raise awareness and share knowledge takes many forms, including a series of webinars called CFI Talks, where experts from the CFI, UN agencies, government representatives, fishing community members, and other national and regional projects, initiatives and NGOs share and discuss their experiences with the public. The aim of the CFI Talks is to promote the development of more holistic processes and integrated approaches through South/South learning exchanges, contributing to the sustainable management of coastal fisheries within the six CFI beneficiary countries (Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Indonesia, Peru and Senegal), its three regions (Asia, West Africa and Latin America) and beyond. The CFI Talks are held periodically, for two hours (one-hour presentation and one-hour discussion) via Zoom videoconferencing, with simultaneous translation in French, English and Spanish. Five CFI Talks were organized in 2022 and 2023 on the following themes: Sustainable mangrove management; The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF); Marine Spatial Planning (MSP); Private sector engagement in sustainable coastal fisheries; and Empowering women in fisheries value chains. Together, they totaled over 400 participants.