Enhancing the capacity of AWFISHNET for securing sustainable Livelihoods and gender equity in fisheries

Enhancing the Capacity of AWFISHNET for Securing Sustainable Livelihoods and Gender Equity in Fisheries is a partnership between Swedbio/Stockholm Resilience Centre and the Environmental Management as well as The Economic Development Organisation (EMEDO) that seeks to contribute to a gender-fair society and a gender-responsive fisheries sector.

That recognizes, utilizes and enhances women’s capabilities and potential for sustainable and equitable development, food security, poverty eradication and safeguarding of the environment in Africa. It will also contribute to enhanced knowledge generation and dialogue between policymakers, civil society and scientists in order to develop fisheries and related policies that better account for the environment and realities of marginalized coastal and inland people living in poverty.

The objective of the Project

This project seeks to contribute to a gender-fair society and a gender-responsive fisheries sector in Africa that recognizes, utilizes and enhances women’s capabilities and potential for sustainable and equitable development, food security, poverty eradication and safeguarding of the environment.

It will also contribute to enhanced knowledge generation and dialogue between policymakers, civil society and scientists in order to develop fisheries and related policies that better account for the environment and realities of marginalized coastal and inland people living in poverty and to help bridge between policy formulation and implementation.

This project will particularly focus on two specific objectives;

• To strengthen the organizational capacities of women fish workers organizations (national associations) where they already exist, and to establish new ones where they do not yet exist.
• To strengthen the internal, institutional and organizational capacities of AWFISHNET and its members for effective engagement in policy processes and methods which contribute to environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation, equity and sustainable livelihoods.

Environmental Management and Economic Development Organization (EMEDO)

EMEDO is a Tanzanian independent not for profit development organisation based in Mwanza, Tanzania, that was formed in November 2006 as a response to the environmental, social and economic challenges facing the Lake Victoria region.

The organization focuses on empowerment and community building as central pillars to pursue sustainable livelihoods for small-scale fishers and fish workers with its mission being to strengthen communities’ capacities in fighting poverty through training, research, policy analysis, lobbying and advocacy, awareness creation, information sharing, institutional linkages and resource mobilization.

EMEDO hosts the secretariat of the Network of African Women Fish Processors and traders – AWFISHNET. This is based on the AWFISHNET’s resolution during its establishment in 2017 that, the country elected as the secretariat will house the network until the General Assembly decides otherwise.

The Executive Director of EMEDO was elected as the Secretary-General to the network and hence EMEDO assumed the responsibility of hosting the network’s secretariat, mobilizing resources and managing the project.

African Network of Women Fish Processors and Traders (AWFISHNET)

AWFISHNET is a recently established (2017) continental network of women fish workers that operates as a non-profit, non-political and non-religious network.

It is a platform that seeks to strengthen women fish workers’ position and contribution to the continental agenda of ending Hunger in Africa and halving Poverty by the year 2025, given their key role as active players in the fisheries sector and of African society in line with existing regional and global instruments, policies and strategies.

The network exists as a coordinating body for all its members involved in fish processing and trade in Africa. Members use the network as a consultative mechanism to strengthen institutional coordination and collaboration with respect to matters that affect their interests as women fish processors and traders.

AWFISHNET membership is composed of 28 nation-level members across the African continent.

SwedBio, located at Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) and Stockholm University, financially supports programmes and organisations in the south and their cooperation partners mainly in Africa and SE Asia, with funds received from The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)

A considerable part of the SwedBio programme funds are channelled to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and networks working in the South. Swedbio has been supporting the activities of AWFISHNET for the past 19 months since June 2018 to December 2019.