From the Editor
Dear Friends,
Greetings! In this issue, besides articles from Tanzania, Brazil, Mozambique, Guinea Conakry, and Malaysia, we carry excerpts from a recently released report on the role of women in European fisheries.
The article from Tanzania analyzes the experiences of two fisheries development projects and stresses that integrating the concerns of women of fishing communities right from the very conception of the project has been an important reason for the success of one of them. Involvement in planning does not mean that all women participate. But it gives them a chance to come up with their priorities and strategies at an early stage, notes the author. An important lesson, often ignored.
In several countries, both in the North and South, women play vital and unacknowledged roles in managing on-shore work of the fisheries enterprise, including maintaining accounts, liaisoning with bank and port officials etc. The report on women in European fisheries highlights the important and undervalued role of women as support to seagoing spouses (collaborating spouses), and recommends the need to recognize and support this work.
It is evident that even if women are not visibly playing a role in fisheries activities, it is important to ensure that their work and priorities are reflected in management plans and other policies, as much for reasons of equity as for sustainablity of resources and livelihoods.
Women of fishing communities have been in the news in several countries, as they take up various initiatives to improve their life and livelihood.We have fished out two such news items from India and Spain.
And finally, as Yemaya goes into its tenth issue, we take a look at its readership. At present Yemaya English goes to 134 individuals and organizations in 78 countries, Yemaya French to 57 individuals and organizations in 20 countries and Yemaya Spanish to 74 individuals and organizations in 20 countries. Most copies go to fishworker organizations, NGOs and women of fishing communities, especially in India, Brazil, Philippines, Senegal, Chile, Spain, France and Canada.
The challenge for Yemaya is to continue to attract write-ups, especially from grassroots groups in the South. Linking up with other newsletters in local languages being circulated among fishing communities, is also an option that needs be explored. In case you have any suggestions, please write to us.
The next issue of Yemaya will be brought out in November 2002. Can we request you to send us your write-ups by end-October?
