The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (F.F.A) will create a new initiative to promote gender equality and social inclusion within the tuna fishery sector across the region.

According to a F.F.A media release, the initiative forms part of the organisation’s five-year plan. 

F.F.A Director General, Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen, said gender-related policies had been in place since 2016, but more needed to be done to ensure the participation of women and minorities in tuna fisheries.

Dr. Tupou-Roosen said every effort would be made to understand the barriers faced by women and other marginalised demographics in fisheries, so policies and practices were inclusive.

“What’s missing from our tuna fisheries work is regular gender and social inclusion analysis. Without this data, it remains difficult to understand the role and relations of women and minority groups within the broader fisheries supply chain,” Dr. Tupou-Roosen said.

She said sustainable fisheries are vital for achieving food and nutrition security, alleviating poverty, enhancing economic growth and achieving social development. 

She said that better data to quantify the contributions of women, people with disabilities and other demographic groups will allow for more inclusive policies and decision-making. 

She said the F.F.A initiative would influence the Pacific region.

In September, a workshop on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (G.E.S.I) was hosted by the F.F.A involving all employees.

The ‘Walking the Talk’ session was aimed at building a common understanding of gender equality and social inclusion within the F.F.A.

“It has helped all of us at F.F.A develop a deeper understanding of how discrimination or bias related to gender and other factors such as age, ethnicity, socio-economic background, religion, and [disabilities] can prevent certain groups [from] contributing to decision-making or accessing opportunities,” Dr. Tupou-Roosen said.

The F.F.A hopes to support a range of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion training and awareness workshops in the future within its member countries and the wider fisheries sector. 

The Agency is planning a Gender Forum in Fisheries in 2021.