Structural inequalities continue to limit women’s full participation in Fiji’s fisheries sector, despite their significant contributions, says acting permanent secretary for Ministry of Fisheries and Forestry Sanjana Lal.
Speaking at a conference on environmental law, Ms Lal highlighted that the burden of unpaid care work remains a significant barrier for women.
The event, focused on strengthening the environment rule of law for coastal ecosystems in Fiji, was held at the Yatu Lau Conference Room in Suva.
“Something like 80 hours per week on unpaid care work, and this compares to 47 hours for men,” she said.
Ms Lal said this imbalance directly affected women’s ability to engage in income-generating opportunities within the fisheries sector.
She also raised concerns about safety and access challenges faced by women in marketplaces.
“They’re more likely to experience things like sexual harassment in the market.”
“We know from doing some surveys in markets around Fiji that many of them do face forms of sexual harassment when they’re trying to sell their product in the markets itself.”
In addition, she pointed to broader inequalities in access to resources such as fishing gear, loans and technology, as well as limited participation in decision-making processes.
Ms Lal said these issues highlighted the need to address not just visible barriers, but deeper structural challenges embedded within the sector.
