IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i19p8722-d1495121.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gendering Ocean Management for Sustainable Ocean Care in Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Georgina Yaa Oduro

    (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Cape Coast Ghana, Cape Coast 3321, Ghana)

  • Rosabelle Boswell

    (Coastal and Marine Research Institute, Ocean Sciences Campus, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6001, South Africa)

  • David Wilson

    (Department of Humanities, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK)

  • John Windie Ansah

    (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Cape Coast Ghana, Cape Coast 3321, Ghana)

Abstract

UNESCO presently offers a universal regime and policy environment for the identification and management of natural and cultural heritages. However, heritage does not merely signify cultural diversity; it can also facilitate greater equity and equality. The research problem addressed in this article is that in Ghana, the national government perceives and treats the small-scale fishing (SSF) sector as a masculine space and endeavour, ignoring the gendered aspects of this environment, of SSF practice and ocean care. In the article, it is hypothesized that if the SSF sector is treated as a socially differentiated space, and if the concern of ocean care is prioritized as a key imperative in Ghanaian ocean management, it is likely that a more inclusive and sustainable ocean management process and SSF sector will emerge in Ghana. Mindful of the socially differentiated nature of the SSF sector in Ghana, the goal of the research presented in this article is to use mixed qualitative research methods (participant-observation and semi-structured interviews) to investigate gendered knowledge forms and gendered practices in ocean care in the central region of Ghana. A key finding of the research is that gendered ritual practices, including canoe building and use in Ghana, are critical to long-term, sustainable, and inclusive ocean management in the country. Recognition of the gendered dimensions of ocean management in Ghana may also result in more inclusive ocean governance policies and nature management policies in Ghana in general. The conclusion of the article is that ocean governance in Ghana should consider and mainstream a gendered perspective of the SSF sector, to advance transformative, sustainable, and inclusive ocean care. The article draws on theories of intersectionality, African indigenous feminist thought, and critical heritage studies to analyse the data gathered, to support the discussion, and to propose the way forward for the national government.

Suggested Citation

  • Georgina Yaa Oduro & Rosabelle Boswell & David Wilson & John Windie Ansah, 2024. "Gendering Ocean Management for Sustainable Ocean Care in Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-19, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:19:p:8722-:d:1495121
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/19/8722/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/19/8722/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Harper, Sarah & Zeller, Dirk & Hauzer, Melissa & Pauly, Daniel & Sumaila, Ussif Rashid, 2013. "Women and fisheries: Contribution to food security and local economies," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 56-63.
    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. Emily Aparecida Ferreira Brandão & Thiago da Rocha Santos & Stephan Rist, 2020. "Connecting Public Policies for Family Farmers and Women’s Empowerment: The Case of the Brazilian Semi-Arid," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-22, July.
    2. Gianelli, Ignacio & Martínez, Gastón & Defeo, Omar, 2015. "An ecosystem approach to small-scale co-managed fisheries: The yellow clam fishery in Uruguay," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 196-202.
    3. Ashley Peiffer & Michael Harte, 2023. "Development from a distance: Exploring an international non‐profit's interactions with communities during the COVID‐19 pandemic," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(6), pages 979-994, August.
    4. Barbara Quimby & Arielle Levine, 2018. "Participation, Power, and Equity: Examining Three Key Social Dimensions of Fisheries Comanagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-20, September.
    5. Leah Salm & Nicholas Nisbett & Laura Cramer & Stuart Gillespie & Philip Thornton, 2021. "How climate change interacts with inequity to affect nutrition," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(2), March.
    6. Constanza Gonzalez Parrao & Marta Moratti & Shannon Shisler & Birte Snilstveit & John Eyers, 2021. "PROTOCOL: Aquaculture for improving productivity, income, nutrition and women's empowerment in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(3), September.
    7. Agata Nicolosi & Donatella Di Gregorio & Giuseppe Arena & Valentina Rosa Laganà & Donatella Privitera, 2021. "Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries in the Midst of Adaptation and Diversification: Insights from Southern Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-27, July.
    8. Freitas, Carolina T. & Espírito-Santo, Helder M.V. & Campos-Silva, João Vitor & Peres, Carlos A. & Lopes, Priscila F.M., 2020. "Resource co-management as a step towards gender equity in fisheries," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    9. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi & Simplice A. Asongu, 2020. "Women’s Participation in the Offshore and Inshore Fisheries Entrepreneurship: the Role of CSR in Nigeria’s Oil Coastal Communities," Working Papers 20/012, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    10. Short, Rebecca Ellen & Addison, Prue & Hill, Nicholas & Arlidge, William & Berthe, Sara & Castello y Tickell, Sofia & Coulthard, Sarah & Lorenz, Lena & Sibanda, Mxolisi & Milner-Gulland, E.J., 2019. "Achieving net benefits: A road map for cross-sectoral policy development in response to the unintended use of mosquito nets as fishing gear," SocArXiv 2g7vb, Center for Open Science.
    11. Dimitris Tsafoutis & Theodore Metaxas, 2021. "Fishing Tourism in Greece: Defining Possibilities and Prospects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-20, December.
    12. Siti Zanariah Ahmad Ishak & Malia Taibi & Ahmad Nizar Yaakub, 2017. "Impact of Sago Crop Commercialization Programs on Gender Roles of Melanau Communities in Sarawak, Malaysia," Asian Social Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(12), pages 1-35, December.
    13. Joanne Millar & Wayne Robinson & Lee Baumgartner & Khampheng Homsombath & Malavanh Chittavong & Thonglome Phommavong & Douangkham Singhanouvong, 2019. "Local perceptions of changes in the use and management of floodplain fisheries commons: the case of Pak Peung wetland in Lao PDR," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1835-1852, August.
    14. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi & Simplice A. Asongu, 2020. "Women’s Participation in the Offshore and Inshore Fisheries Entrepreneurship: the Role of CSR in Nigeria’s Oil Coastal Communities," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 20/012, African Governance and Development Institute..
    15. Sarah Appiah & Theodore O. Antwi-Asare & F. K. Agyire-Tettey & Emmanuel Abbey & John K. M. Kuwornu & Steven Cole & Sloans K. Chimatiro, 2021. "Livelihood Vulnerabilities Among Women in Small-Scale Fisheries in Ghana," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(6), pages 1596-1624, December.
    16. Constanza Gonzalez Parrao & Shannon Shisler & Marta Moratti & Cem Yavuz & Arnab Acharya & John Eyers & Birte Snilstveit, 2021. "Aquaculture for improving productivity, income, nutrition and women's empowerment in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(4), December.
    17. Emily S Darling, 2014. "Assessing the Effect of Marine Reserves on Household Food Security in Kenyan Coral Reef Fishing Communities," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(11), pages 1-20, November.
    18. Farmery, Anna K. & Kajlich, Lana & Voyer, Michelle & Bogard, Jessica R. & Duarte, Augustinha, 2020. "Integrating fisheries, food and nutrition – Insights from people and policies in Timor-Leste," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    19. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi & Simplice A. Asongu, 2023. "Oil Extraction and Gender Equality for Social Equity: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria’s Coastal Communities," Working Papers of The Association for Promoting Women in Research and Development in Africa (ASPROWORDA). 23/004, The Association for Promoting Women in Research and Development in Africa (ASPROWORDA).
    20. 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.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:19:p:8722-:d:1495121. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.