Yemaya Recommends
Article : Women in the Fishing: The Roots of Power between the Sexes
Paul Thompson; Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol 27, No 1, January 1985, pp 3 -32
This review is by Chandrika Sharma and Harini Kumar, ICSF
This article is an extremely insightful exploration of the sexual division of labour and power within fishing communities. Paul Thompson delves into the crucial and central roles played by women in fishing communities, and considers how far, and why, this contribution is reflected in the balance of domestic and communal power between the sexes. He notes that while there can be little argument about the prevailing male dominance in Western societies, both in the past and today, within that overall framework there is immense variety in the degree to which women have been able to create space, independence and spheres of power for themselves.
The masculine image of the industry conceals, according to Thompson, the reality of an occupation which, by removing men to sea, makes them peculiarly dependent on the work of women. This dependence gives women not only more responsibility, but also the possibility of more power, both in the home and in the community.
However, while the sexual division of labourthe character of women’s work in fishing communitiesoften takes parallel forms in different societies, the same cannot be said for its consequences for the social position of women, or the power they enjoy. And this is the issue that the author explores at length.
He hypothesizes that the relatively higher power’ enjoyed by women in fishing communities, as noted by some studies, could be linked to the spatial and economic dimension. With men away from home, the home (the spatial dimension) is perhaps a territorial power base for women. When combined with the dimension of economic responsibility, where the wife is responsible for the preparation and sale of the catch, there is a clear practical basis for her power. Because them that sell the goods guide the pursethem that guide the purse rule the house. And when women also control property, such as boats or land, the basis for their power is further enhanced.
However, much more is needed to understand the balance of power between the sexes. This is, the author notes, the result of a highly complex interaction, in which the economy, property, space, work and the culture of the family, religion and region, can, and do, play a vital part. And these variations in the balance of power will continue to be of critical importance to the way women in fishing communities live their lives.
