Guest Editorial: Engendering Security in Fisheries and Aquaculture

• Published in: Asian fisheries science Vol. 30S; pp. 1 - 30
• Main Author: GOPAL, NIKITA
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Manila Asian Fisheries Society 2017
• Subjects: Aquaculture; Brackish; Community involvement; Conferences; Fisheries; Fishery organizations; Freshwater; Gender; International organizations; Marine; Men; Policies; Political aspects; Sociology; Women
• ISSN: 0116-6514; 2073-3720; 2073-3720
• DOI: 10.33997/j.afs.2017.30.S1.001

This Special Issue of Asian Fisheries Science journal comprises 25 papers and a report based on the presentations and posters of the 6th Global Symposium on Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries (GAF6) held during the 11th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum, August 2016, Bangkok, Thailand. GAF6 was the eighth women/gender Symposium organised by the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS). The present Guest Editorial introduces the collection of papers and reports from GAF6 and considers its outcomes. We take the theme of GAF6 – 'Engendering Security in Fisheries and Aquaculture' – literally, meaning that 'engender' is to cause to exist or to develop. In terms of engendering security, we have a primary focus on the many facets of security for women: as individuals, as members of households, communities, and operating at the political level, nationally and internationally. However, we do not neglect totally the issues facing men and communities in fish value chains. Also, we ask ourselves, what gender issues are being overlooked in the current studies? As recent gender-related work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and topics in GAF6 presentations and sessions resonated with each other, we briefly cover FAO gender and fisheries/aquaculture work in our Guest Editorial. Finally, we provide an overview of the Special Issue papers. Throughout, most of the emphasis is on women's conditions and lack of gender focus in research and policies in countries outside the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), although we acknowledge the need to better integrate the longer legacy of gender and fisheries research in OECD countries, such as Neis et al. (2013). But first, we discuss the steps taken by the Asian Fisheries Society to formally establish its Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section.