A very welcome addition to the technical support for the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication a handbook has just been released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Called Towards gender-equitable small-scale fisheries governance and development, the handbook written by Nilanjana Biswas, of the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), is a treasure trove of essential background knowledge on women, gender and small-scale fisheries, combined with practical advice and case examples on incorporating gender equality principles in small scale fisheries work. The target audience is broad from government officers to fishers and their communities, fish worker groups and researchers, as befits a product of the very participatory development process the Handbook team took. The Handbook is organised in 3 parts: Part 1: Understanding gender and the role of women in small-scale fisheries Part 2: Responsible fisheries and sustainable development through a gender lens Part 3: Ensuring an enabling environment for gender equality and supporting implementation Among the rich and varied advice and explanatory boxes are such gems as a guide to tried and tested FAO methods for assessing post-harvest losses, and disaster response and rehabilitation issues to target to help women. Throughout, the Handbook has action points for policy-makers and for community service organisations, offering a few key tips on each subject. A particular highlight is the set of case studies, each containing a description of the case, followed by a gender-sensitive Let’s analyse this section that gets to the heart of the gender issues. Download the full Handbook at: http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7419e.pdf