Need for strengthening position of women in local seabob sector – FAO study

A recent assessment conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on Guyana’s seabob sector has underscored the need to strengthen the position of women, especially within the artisanal and industrial channels.
Guyana was among the first five of 12 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) nations analysed by the global fish value chain development programme, FISH4ACP. Implemented by FAO, this initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) focuses on making fisheries and aquaculture value chains more productive and sustainable, with an emphasis on supporting women, given their crucial role in fish value chains – the whole process of adding value to the product.
Under a 10-year development strategy for the healthy future of Guyana’s seabob shrimp value chain, which was endorsed by Guyanese operators in May 2022, the FAO’s FISH4ACP Project has completed an assessment report in which it highlighted, among other things, ways of promoting artisanal or traditional fisheries and strengthening the role of women.
The artisanal fishers are predominantly men who use various gear types to target multiple species such as white belly shrimp, finfish and prawns. However, these catches – almost nine tonnes/year, or five per cent of the artisanal catch of seabob – are bought by about nine cottage processors. These are mostly small, female-owned businesses that dry seabob to sell locally to market vendors, street food vendors, and small restaurants. The cottage processors hire part-time female workers who clean seabob and then spread it on the floor to dry.
Moreover, it was outlined in the report that nearly 80 per cent of artisanal seabob catch or 150 tonnes of seabob is sold in the local market by around 107 market vendors, who retail fresh seabob, peeled fresh seabob, and dried seabob to consumers and other buyers, such as street food vendors and restaurants.
Like the processors, majority of these vendors are female business owners who work year-round and employ other family members and workers to help with the transport, cleaning and peeling of seabob.
According to the report, artisanal fishers and market vendors are the core actors within the sector and therefore, “enhancing women’s participation” in the value chain (VC) is key.
“Analysis of the social performance of the VC showed unequal income among VC actors and workers, especially between men and women. There was also an unequal division of roles between men and women, a limited number of women holding decision-making positions and women had limited access to assets (such as land and houses) and fishing licences… Access to financial services by both male and female actors was limited in the artisanal channel of the VC,” the assessment report highlighted.
The document also detailed an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the seabob value chain in both the artisanal channel and industrial channel – which comprises three major seafood operators in Guyana.
Among the strengths in the industrial channel is the creation of employment for nearly 800 people (hired jobs) per year on average, of which nearly 40 per cent are women hired for processing work and salary above minimum wage.
Similarly, for the artisanal channel, strengths include employment creation for some 840 people per year on average, including family labour and hired workers.

Gender inequality
However, with regards to weaknesses, it was pointed out that although industrial firms generate employment for nearly 800 people, a lack of attention to labour conditions and gender equality have also given rise to issues such as wage gaps for women workers for industrial processing jobs (when compared to male workers for industrial fishing and other operations).
For the artisanal channel, the weaknesses identified includes gender norms limiting women’s participation.
“Recognising the key role that women play as workers in processing factories in the industrial channel and as processors and vendors in the artisanal channel (strength), improving the conditions for women workers in the industrial channel (weakness) and increasing the share of value added for women business owners, as processors and vendors, and women workers in the artisanal channel (weakness) by improving the representation of women and access to higher-value markets (opportunity),” the report stated.
Informed by the SWOT analysis, a seabob value chain map and stakeholder interests, as reflected during consultations, provided an overall objective for the upgrading strategy that was developed with stakeholders. It states that by 2032, Guyana would have strengthened its position as a leading exporter of seabob shrimp globally by ensuring a sustainable and resilient value chain for seabob across the industrial and artisanal channels, that is well-regulated and supported by data, with improved infrastructure for artisanal fishers and empowerment of women across both channels.
Specific and measurable targets that this 2032 vision aim to achieve include having full-time employment (FTE) jobs for women increased to 43 per cent by 2025 and 2032 – a three per cent increase compared to baseline 2015–2020; and having the number of FTE jobs for women with earnings not below national minimum wage increased to over 420 by 2025 and 2032 – 29 per cent increase compared to baseline 2015–2020.
“Women dominate the market vendor (retailing) and processing segments of the VC, where profitability levels are the lowest of all actors. Upgrades to the business model of market vendors and processors will generate sufficient additional income to increase the number of FTE employment opportunities for women and increase wages paid to female employees,” the report stated.
It was further highlighted that market vendors and cottage processors are the least profitable segment of the value chain, which are carried out largely by women, with returns on sales of only 12 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.
To this end, the report calls for additional attention to be paid to gender constraints and opportunities, allowing the increased participation of women and increased share of direct value captured by women.
Consequently, a study will be conducted to verify the potential for expansion of domestic seabob consumption in higher-value outlets, including supermarkets, hotels and restaurants as a result of the growth of the oil and gas and tourism sectors in Guyana.
“By providing training on improved seabob handling practices (eg food safety and quality, improved drying and storing techniques), coupled with infrastructure upgrades at strategic wharfs and landing sites (mainly Meadowbank in Region 4 and Rosignol in Region 5), women processors and vendors will be linked to higher-value customers as well as necessary service providers (eg suppliers of solar dryers, ice and ice boxes) to increase their incomes from higher value sales of fresh seabob. Their representation and voice in decision-making regarding the management of landing sites will also be improved by forming a network of women vendors and processors, subject to their interests,” the report stated. (G8)