IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/wdevel/v152y2022ics0305750x22000110.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Adapting the WEAI to explore gender equity among Fishers, Processors, and sellers at Zambia’s Lake Bangweulu

Author

Listed:
  • Ragsdale, Kathleen
  • Read-Wahidi, Mary
  • Marinda, Pamela
  • Pincus, Lauren
  • Torell, Elin
  • Kolbila, Robert

Abstract

We implemented the novel Women’s Empowerment in Fisheries Index (WEFI) (adapted from the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index), among men and women fisheries value chain actors at Zambia’s Lake Bangweulu (N = 397). We found significant gender disparities favoring males across key indicators. Men were significantly more likely to report large decision-making input into fishing, processing, transporting, and selling fish, as well as sole ownership of important productive assets such as fishing and processing equipment, canoes, and mobile phones. Women were significantly more likely to report non-completion of any years of school and being “not at all comfortable” speaking in public on decisions affecting their fishing community, on decisions related to fishery governance, and to protest illegal/unsustainable fishing practices. Women were also significantly more likely to report that – in the past four weeks – there was no food to eat in their dwelling due to lack of resources to get food, they/another household member had gone to sleep at night hungry because there was not enough food, and they/another household member had gone a whole day and night without eating because there was not enough food. For the gender attitude questions, a sizeable proportion of both men and women disagreed that men should retain control of fishery assets, income, and decision-making. However, these opinions were not reflected in the current distribution of fishery assets, income, and decision-making autonomy. The results indicate that the WEFI is a useful quantitative instrument, as it is relatively brief while also allowing for gender-disaggregated analysis of demographic characteristics, household-level hunger, livelihoods participation, asset ownership, decision-making autonomy, and gender attitudes specific to small-scale capture fishery value chain actors. Replicating the WEFI among small-scale fisheries value chain actors in other sub-Saharan countries will provide important insights on gender equity commonalities and differences across sites/contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Ragsdale, Kathleen & Read-Wahidi, Mary & Marinda, Pamela & Pincus, Lauren & Torell, Elin & Kolbila, Robert, 2022. "Adapting the WEAI to explore gender equity among Fishers, Processors, and sellers at Zambia’s Lake Bangweulu," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:152:y:2022:i:c:s0305750x22000110
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.105821
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X22000110
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.105821?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sarah Harper & Marina Adshade & Vicky W Y Lam & Daniel Pauly & U Rashid Sumaila, 2020. "Valuing invisible catches: Estimating the global contribution by women to small-scale marine capture fisheries production," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, March.
    2. Johnson, Nancy L. & Kovarik, Chiara & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Njuki, Jemimah & Quisumbing, Agnes, 2016. "Gender, Assets, and Agricultural Development: Lessons from Eight Projects," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 295-311.
    3. Fiorella, Kathryn J. & Camlin, Carol S. & Salmen, Charles R. & Omondi, Ruth & Hickey, Matthew D. & Omollo, Dan O. & Milner, Erin M. & Bukusi, Elizabeth A. & Fernald, Lia C.H. & Brashares, Justin S., 2015. "Transactional Fish-for-Sex Relationships Amid Declining Fish Access in Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 323-332.
    4. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations & World Fish Center, 2008. "Small-scale Capture Fisheries : A Global Overview with Emphasis on Developing Countries," World Bank Publications - Reports 16752, The World Bank Group.
    5. Babatunde, R.O. & Omotesho, O.A. & Olorunsanya, E.O. & Owotoki, G.M., 2008. "Determinants of Vulnerability to Food Insecurity: A Genderbased Analysis of Farming Households in Nigeria," Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, vol. 63(1), pages 1-10.
    6. Williams, S.B., 2002. "Making each and every African fisher count: women do fish," Monographs, The WorldFish Center, number 36254, April.
    7. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations & WorldFish Center, 2008. "Small-scale capture fisheries: a global overview with emphasis on developing countries: a preliminary report of the Big Numbers Project," Monographs, The WorldFish Center, number 37878, April.
    8. Naila Kabeer, 1999. "Resources, Agency, Achievements: Reflections on the Measurement of Women's Empowerment," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 30(3), pages 435-464, July.
    9. Iddrisu Amadu & Frederick Ato Armah & Denis Worlanyo Aheto, 2021. "Assessing Livelihood Resilience of Artisanal Fisherfolk to the Decline in Small-Scale Fisheries in Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-18, September.
    10. Béné, Christophe & Merten, Sonja, 2008. "Women and Fish-for-Sex: Transactional Sex, HIV/AIDS and Gender in African Fisheries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 875-899, May.
    11. de la O Campos, Ana Paula & Covarrubias, Katia Alejandra & Prieto Patron, Alberto, 2016. "How Does the Choice of the Gender Indicator Affect the Analysis of Gender Differences in Agricultural Productivity? Evidence from Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 17-33.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rao, Nitya, 2017. "Assets, Agency and Legitimacy: Towards a Relational Understanding of Gender Equality Policy and Practice," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 43-54.
    2. Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Quisumbing, Agnes & Doss, Cheryl & Theis, Sophie, 2019. "Women's land rights as a pathway to poverty reduction: Framework and review of available evidence," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 72-82.
    3. Weeratunge, N. & Chiuta, T.M. & Choudhury, A. & Ferrer, A. & Hüsken, S.M.C. & Kura, Y. & Kusakabe, K. & Madzudzo, E. & Maetala, R. & Naved, R. & Schwarz, A. & Kantor, P., 2012. "Transforming aquatic agricultural systems towards gender equality: a five country review," Monographs, The WorldFish Center, number 39966, April.
    4. Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela & Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Doss, Cheryl R. & Theis, Sophie, 2017. "Women’s land rights as a pathway to poverty reduction: A framework and review of available evidence," IFPRI discussion papers 1663, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. Ruth Meinzen-Dick & Agnes Quisumbing, 2018. "Response to Garcia and Wanner “gender inequality and food security: lessons for the gender-responsive work of the international food policy research institute and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(2), pages 247-251, April.
    6. Els Lecoutere & Lan Chu, 2024. "Supporting women's empowerment by changing intra‐household decision‐making: A mixed‐methods analysis of a field experiment in rural south‐west Tanzania," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 42(3), May.
    7. Gordon, A. & Pulis, A. & Owusu-Adjei, E., 2011. "Smoked marine fish from Western Region, Ghana: a value chain assessment," Monographs, The WorldFish Center, number 39520, April.
    8. Salmen, Charles R. & Hickey, Matthew D. & Fiorella, Kathryn J. & Omollo, Dan & Ouma, Gor & Zoughbie, Daniel & Salmen, Marcus R. & Magerenge, Richard & Tessler, Robert & Campbell, Harold & Geng, Elvin , 2015. "“Wan Kanyakla” (We are together): Community transformations in Kenya following a social network intervention for HIV care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 332-340.
    9. Sajeda Pervin & Mohammad Nazari Ismail & Abu Hanifa Md Noman, 2023. "Does Microfinance Singlehandedly Empower Women? A Case Study of Bangladesh," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    10. Mahajan, Kanika, 2019. "Back to the plough: Women managers and farm productivity in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-1.
    11. Balezentis, Tomas & Morkunas, Mangirdas & Volkov, Artiom & Ribasauskiene, Erika & Streimikiene, Dalia, 2021. "Are women neglected in the EU agriculture? Evidence from Lithuanian young farmers," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    12. Elizabeth Bryan & Elisabeth Garner, 2022. "Understanding the pathways to women’s empowerment in Northern Ghana and the relationship with small-scale irrigation," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(3), pages 905-920, September.
    13. Cynthia M. Caron, 2018. "Creating the ‘Girl Effect’: Including boys and men to promote girls’ land and asset ownership," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 18(4), pages 223-234, October.
    14. Wehner, Nicholas & FAO,, 2017. "Improving our knowledge on small-scale fisheries: data needs and methodologies," MarXiv vnwc2, Center for Open Science.
    15. Bjornlund, Henning & Zuo, Alec & Wheeler, Sarah Ann & Parry, Karen & Pittock, Jamie & Mdemu, Makarius & Moyo, Martin, 2019. "The dynamics of the relationship between household decision-making and farm household income in small-scale irrigation schemes in southern Africa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 135-145.
    16. Alexander Michael Kaminski & Steven Michael Cole & Robin Elizabeth Al Haddad & Alexander Shula Kefi & Alex Dennis Chilala & Gethings Chisule & Kelvin Ntaswila Mukuka & Catherine Longley & Shwu Jiau Te, 2020. "Fish Losses for Whom? A Gendered Assessment of Post-Harvest Losses in the Barotse Floodplain Fishery, Zambia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-20, December.
    17. Meemken, Eva-Marie & Qaim, Matin, 2017. "Can Private Food Standards Promote Gender Equality in the Small Farm Sector?," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258088, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    18. Mangubhai, Sangeeta & Lawless, Sarah & Cowley, Anna & Mangubhai, Jayshree P. & Williams, Meryl J., 2022. "Progressing gender equality in fisheries by building strategic partnerships with development organisations," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    19. Ogunnaike, Maria Gbemisola & Kehinde, Mojisola Olanike & Shittu, Adebayo M., 2017. "Effect of Women Empowerment in Agriculture on Food Security of Farm Households in Ogun State, Nigeria," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258426, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    20. Helen M. Haugh & Alka Talwar, 2016. "Linking Social Entrepreneurship and Social Change: The Mediating Role of Empowerment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 133(4), pages 643-658, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:152:y:2022:i:c:s0305750x22000110. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/worlddev .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.