On 27 December 2012, we lost Dr M.C. Nandeesha, who brought awareness to the importance of women in Asian and global fisheries, and who initiated the first substantive activities to address gender inequality to the work and the considerations of the Asian Fisheries Society.

Beginning with the 1990 Women in Fisheries in India Workshop, held at the 2nd Indian Fisheries Forum in Mangalore, Nandeesha later initiated women in fisheries PADEK funded photo competitions in conjunction with the Asian Fisheries Forums. These led to the Asian Fisheries Society’s Women in Fisheries and later Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries (GAF) Symposia, of which 7 have now been held since 1998. The latest GAF symposium was held in November 2014 in Lucknow, India, in conjunction with the 10th Indian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (click here for information).

An essay on Dr Nandeesha’s contributions to the Asian Fisheries Society’s women/gender activities has just been published:  Essay: Dr M.C. Nandeesha: The Man Who Brought Gender Awareness to the Asian Fisheries Society Asian Fisheries Science Special Issue 27S. This Essay also examines Dr Nandeesha’s approach to getting key issues addressed. He typically started with getting the issues onto key agendas, helping start up substantive action and then widening the circle of committed people working to advance these issues. Throughout, he lived the values he promoted in these issues, such as gender equity in aquaculture and education.

A small team of Dr Nandeesha’s colleagues are now preparing more material to acknowledge his many other contributions to institution and capacity building, as well as research and development in aquaculture and fisheries.

For more information on our first anniversary post: click here

This entry was posted in: Aquaculture, Bangladesh, Freshwater Fisheries, Gender, Marine Fisheries, Men, Women