Women and gender-diverse people play a critical role in the seafood industry – 50 percent of workers that bring seafood to global markets are women according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Despite this, systemic inequities – including lack of legal protections, limited political representation, and underrepresentation in company leadership – persist. Across 80 of the top seafood companies, less than 15 percent of the corporate employees are women.

Women are not often included in discussions about improving the environmental sustainability and social responsibility of global seafood. It’s essential to address the lack of women’s voices in decision making around these precious resources, especially in the face of looming challenges like the global climate crisis – we must ensure that women’s skills and knowledge are brought to the forefront of those discussions.

While gender inequity is affecting the entire seafood sector, there are also reasons to be hopeful – including efforts to address these challenges throughout the sector. Progress is being made in three key parts of the supply chain:

Production and Processing

There are unique challenges for women that work in seafood production, including fishing and fish farming, and processing, including tasks like cleaning, filleting, and packaging product. While women are a significant part of the workforce in many of the processes that underpin seafood production, they frequently encounter harassment, discrimination, occupational health and safety risks, and long hours and low wages. Women in these roles are often excluded from discussions and decisions around management of local natural resources and other challenges – including access to education, high-paying jobs, and financing – which only amplifies the issue.

Read the full article about equity in the seafood industry by Sarah Hogan and Julie Kuchepatov at The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.