The round table was organized by Saad Aangan, a Goa-based gender resource group, in collaboration with the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (Trust) and was attended by thirty-four participants, all (except one fish farmer) women. The workshop was conducted in Konkani, the language of Goa. The programme commenced with a lively song on the fish of Goa sung by Perpet Cardoz, from the fishing community at Zuari, Goa Velha. After brief introductions by the participants, Maria Angelica D’ Souza from Saad Aangan explained the purpose of the Round Table. She stated that she had attended a meeting at Chennai on ‘Enhancing capacities of women fishworkers in India for the implementation of the SSF Guidelines’ and noted the value of shared understandings and empowering strategies. She mentioned that she saw the need to have a focussed meeting of that nature in Goa and hence tied up with Saad Aangan, of which she is a volunteer, to facilitate organizing the same, with the support of the ICSF.
