According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, 2024), total fisheries and aquaculture production reached an all-time high of 223.2 million tonnes in 2022, with 185.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals' production, indicating significant growth in these sectors. However, women comprise only 24% of the total workforce in fisheries and aquaculture production. Despite this growth, sustainable change in the aquaculture value chain is crucial for achieving gendered food security, improved livelihoods, and economic empowerment of individuals. Aquaculture and Fisheries are hindered by inequalities between men and women in the sector, affecting the even distribution of benefits, access to resources, and control over resources among the actors. Nigeria's Aquaculture Strategy (2008) is gender-blind failing to recognize and consider the roles of both men and women in the aquaculture value chains. Previous studies have revealed existing inequalities in these sectors, where men dominate and play key roles, leaving women behind to benefit little or not at all, resulting in their undervaluation and lack of recognition in these value chains. This study aims to address these barriers and gender disparities in the aquaculture value chains by creating evidence-based data to inform decision-making and propose measures to address the gender barriers in the aquaculture value chain, ultimately empowering women.

This study adopted a gender value chain composition framework as proposed by Kruijssen et al. (2018). Survey design and purposive sampling method were employed to select sub-district in each of the three districts (Edo North, Edo Central and Edo South) based on fish production statistics. Respondents within each senatorial district were randomly selected to ensure a representative sample of men and women across different nodes of the aquaculture value chain (e.g., producers, processors, and traders). A gender-sensitive quantitative household survey was conducted among 305 randomly selected farmers using well-structured questionnaires in the three districts. Ethical approval was obtained prior to data collection.

Women accounted for 31% of actors in the aquaculture value chain, while men accounted for 69%. Edo South had the largest number of participants 50.8% of the total farmers followed by Edo North (35.1%) and Edo Central (14.1%). The ages of farmers were fairly distributed with no significant difference 14.75% were 18 to 29 years, 35.41% were 30 to 40 years, 24.92% were 41 to 49 years while remaining 24.92% belong to the 50 years and above age categories. No significant differences in the marital status of farmers, with the majority (205, 67.21%) being married. Additionally, the demographic features of farmers show a significant difference in physical challenges, with 289 (94.75%) farmers being physically fit and only 16 (5.25%) being physically challenged. Regarding the level of education, the results indicated that 63.28% of male and female farmers who participated in this study attained a tertiary level of education, 25.90% attained a secondary level, 5.9% attained only a primary level, and 4.92% attained an informal level. However, the results also show that there are no significant differences in the educational level of farmers based on their gender. In terms of experience in fish farming, the results show that 72 (23.61%) of the total farmers have 0 to 4 years of experience, 42.30% have 5 to 9 years, 21.97% have 10 to 14 years, and 12.13% have 15 years or more of experience. A larger percentage of the total farmers (54.75%) had medium-sized farms, followed by 24.92% with small-sized farms, 17.7% with large-sized farms, and 2.62% who were subsistence farmers. Similarly, there were significant differences in fish farming practices (p<0.05). Specifically, 7 farmers practiced artisanal fishing, 56 practiced fingerling production, 9 were fishmongers, 112 practiced fish processing, 71 practiced sales and marketing, 9 were service providers, and 239 (78.36%) practiced table-size production. Regarding the types of fish cultured, the results show that there was no significant difference between male and female farmers. The majority of farmers (292, 95.74%) cultured African catfish, while a few cultured Pangasius fish (3, 0.98%), Tilapia fish (9, 2.95%), and other fish species (1, 0.33%). The results also show that there were no significant differences in post-harvest handling practices between male and female farmers. Most farmers (240, 79%) used traditional methods, while 65 (21%) used smoking kilns.

Despite these many similarities between women and men farmers, the results of our quantitative analyses identified several gender-specific constraints that limit women's benefits from the aquaculture value chain. These are their limited access to productive resources, lack of control over resources, insufficient capital, limited decision-making power, and restricted mobility. This study revealed a significant gender gap in the aquaculture value chain with male dominance over female counterparts. Women are under-represented in fingerling and table-sized fish production, which are male-dominated. Women dominate processing, sales, and marketing, but face limited access to full benefits. These factors contribute to limited women's participation and empowerment in the aquaculture value chain.

To conclude, closing the gender gap requires deliberate efforts, including capacity building for women in production value chain nodes, providing women with agency and access to resources and credit, and addressing discriminatory norms to ensure the sustainability of fisheries in Edo State.

References

• FAO. (2024). The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture. Blue Transformation in action. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd0683en
• Kruijssen, F., McDougall, C.L. and Van Asseldonk, I.J., 2018. Gender and aquaculture value chains: A review of key issues and implications for research. Aquaculture, 493, pp.328-337.
• This Story is based on the research published in African Journal of Agricultural Research (referenced below). The full open access article is available here.
• Adegbesan, S. I. & Shittu, T. A. (2025). "Understanding Gender Roles, Constraints and Social Context in Fish Value Chain in Edo State, Nigeria", African Journal of Agricultural Research, 21(2):73-86 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5897/AJAR2024.16834

Authors

• Dr Sherifat Adegbesan ¹
  Department of Fisheries Technology, Edo State College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, P. M. B. 1417, Iguoriakhi, Edo State, Nigeria.
• Prof. Taofeek Akinyemi Shittu ²
  Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria P. M. B. 2250

This publication is a product of our policy innovation project (PIP) under the Gender Responsive Agriculture Systems Policy (GRASP) Fellowship. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the fellowship is implemented by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD).The PIP was partly funded by the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform.

This entry was posted in: Africa, Aquaculture, Men, Nigeria, Women