On 1 November Masifundise hosted a Women’s Assembly at our National Strategic Forum. This assembly was intended to give women a platform to discuss the challenges of women participating in small-scale fishing and broader social issues facing fishing communities.
Women from coastal and inland SSF communities were in attendance. During the meeting, they discussed common challenges faced in SSF communities and listed the type of support needed in the struggle from fellow men in the community and civil society organisations.
Men gathered separately to discuss how they can better support women struggles in SSF and the broader community.
Moving forward, they collectively made a proposal for the establishment of a Coastal Links women’s movement.
This movement would explore issues and challenges specific to women in SSF and the broader society. The establishment of a women’s movement would assist in driving action against gender inequality as well as strengthening the advancement of gender rights through the mobilization and advocacy of women.
“It was really important for Masifundise to create a platform such as the women’s assembly. Women do not exist in a silo, they are affected by issues in the small-scale fisheries sector as well the hugely gendered society we live in. This assembly was about trying to establish tools on dismantling the pervasive power of patriarchy that we find in our communities and in small-scale fishing,” said Sibongiseni Gwebani, Media and Communication officer at Masifundise.