A review of the impacts of laws and policies on the nexus of the fisheries sector and gender in the Philippines

Abstract

The fisheries sector is an integral part of the Philippine economy contributing to economic growth, food security, livelihood creation, and poverty reduction. However, gender issues persist within the sector, despite the country having a relatively lower gender gap than other countries. These issues are present across women’s participation in the fisheries sector including productive activities, finance, implementation of marine protected areas, enforcement of closed fishing seasons, community activities, and women’s experience of conflicts and violence. This narrative review synthesizes key findings into four major themes: (1) adopting a gender lens in laws and policies can help increase the participation of women in more activities in the fisheries sector; (2) laws and policies may have gendered impacts; (3) the decentralization of governance and partnerships between the public and private sectors may help women in the fisheries sector; and (4) greater visibility and law and policy implementation are needed to further reduce gender inequality in the sector. This review suggests four courses of action: (1) improve the implementation and enforcement of laws and policies that promote gender equality, (2) further provide options for women to participate in the development of the fisheries sector, (3) keenly consider the effects of policies to stakeholders in the various industries in the fisheries sector, particularly women and their children, and (4) proactively adopt a research-intensive approach in examining the needs of each actor in the fisheries chain and in recommending changes to policies or when crafting new laws and policies.