Lamu county is empowering women fishers to help salvage the sector, which has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The county handed over two high-powered fishing boats to women groups in Shanga-Ishakani and Pate islands where most women fishers reside.
Deputy Governor Abdulhakim Aboud, who is also the Fisheries CEC, said they will provide the women with tools and relax some laws to help them thrive. Aboud spoke to the fishers at Shanga-Ishakani fishing hub.
The women also received registration certificates for their beach management units, communication materials and financial literacy and management books.
The support was in partnership with the National Rangeland Trust and Pate Island's BMUs.
Aboud said the move is geared at fostering fisheries co-management, accelerate fisheries investments and support intervention.
He said adequate efforts are being made to support all other challenges facing fishers, especially since the pandemic kicked in.
The region has a population of over 6,000 fishers, the majority of whom are men spread across the various islands in the archipelago.
Predominantly Muslim, the county's women are not encouraged to engage in activities that are believed to be a reserve for men, fishing included.
The fisherwomen have over the years remained invisible yet they play a considerable role in the sector.
The coronavirus pandemic has, however, forced thousands of the male fishers to temporarily quit and retreat from the trade.
But the resilient women fishers toil for their families at sea and in production, the tough conditions notwithstanding.
The deputy governor commended the fisherwomen for their bold move to venture into a male-dominated sector.
"We're committed to enabling women to fully engage and benefit from fisheries, especially when Covid-19 continues to disrupt the sector.
"This will continue to boost production, reduce poverty and enhance nutrition security for hundreds of fish-dependent households in Lamu," Aboud said.
According to a 2014 research by CGIAR - the world’s largest agricultural innovation network - women accounted for about 50 per cent of the workforce in fisheries and aquaculture when the secondary elements such as processing and trading are included.
Women, in developing countries, however, face key challenges in engaging and benefiting equitably from this sector due to limited access to and control over assets and resources, gender bias, time and financial management.
Edited by R.Wamochie
