Women’s participation in fisheries governance: socioeconomic importance and challenges in Celestún, Yucatán

Abstract

Fishing, in addition to being a source of employment and cultural identity, is an essential food of high nutritional value for the coastal population in Mexico. However, both in Mexico and around the world, this activity faces significant social problems, such as the sexual division of labor, which perpetuates labor inequalities, stigmas, and gender roles. These conditions place women at a disadvantage, increasing their participation in informal activities and limiting their influence in the fishing industry. Taking these elements into account, the principle of the research was to recognize the diversity of activities performed by women in the fishing value chain. To this end, a mixed methodology was applied in the port of Celestún, Yucatán, which included 15 semi-structured interviews and 40 surveys. The objective was to understand the social dynamics in which women participate and determine whether the existence of prejudice limits or enables their participation in the governance of the fishing industry.

The results show that, although women primarily perform roles associated with household responsibilities, childrearing, and childcare, they also assume the role of sole providers and managers of the family economy, frequently facing double or triple work shifts. These conditions reflect the importance and challenges women face in participating in the governance of fishing activities.

Keyword: Division of labor by gender, fishing, quality of life, governance, value chain, stereotypes, prejudices, gender roles, intersectionality.