Capacity building measures through trainings or awareness campaigns can help to overcome sociocultural barriers, but structural boundaries, unequal rights and policy could remain. To limit these boundaries for gender equality, the involvement of all genders in management organisations is important. In Cambodia, the “Sustainable Aquaculture and Community Fish Refuge Management Project” (SAFR) promoted women’s participation in leadership and management of the Community Fish Refuge (CFR) committees – a form of dam or other water resource management organisation which members are elected by the community. CFR management are vital fish conservation measures that intend to improve the productivity of rice field fisheries and reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The approach introduces community-based management committees and assists them in developing plans such as detailing how and when the fish is utilized and by whom. This initiative significantly contributes to rural livelihoods by enhancing food security, nutrition, and income generation by restoring rice field fisheries systems that are accessible to everyone.
To ensure women’s equal participation in the decision-making process, the programme supported the electoral process for CFR leadership within the communities where rice field fisheries exist. Capacity-building training was conducted with the members focusing on organisational development, transparent decision-making, gender roles and improved management. Through this, a social-ecological environment was created, in which members could actively and jointly manage their resources. The support also involved documenting and encouraging women to take on active roles in the management of the committees, such as vice chief and accountant positions. It also took into consideration how to reduce participation boundaries for women, for example by situating CFR closer to the village to increase safety while fishing.
“As a woman, I know that not only me, but other women in the community also feel proud to work for the community assuming that the society accepts and supports us in decision-making positions. After several elderly people from the community approached my husband and suggested he encourage me to become a candidate, I decided to play a more active role in community development and stand as a candidate for a position on our CFR Management Committee.”
Ms. Sokh Samart, a woman CFR Management Committee member from Boeng Khangek Ngout.
In Madagascar, PADM followed a similar approach to promote leadership of women in farmer’s groups and increase their representation in decision-making bodies. As for the CFR their programme included training in the promotion of women’s memberships, development of a strategy to encourage women to express their opinion in decision-making groups and management organisations and in the valorisation of women’s work and contribution to fish farms. They also included a special training for men to mentor and accompany women to become leaders themselves, highlighting the necessity to include the whole community in gender transformative approaches.
“I must admit that I did not know much about the importance of having women join the (CFR Management) Committee. After I received training on gender roles and I better understood them, I realized that women are as important as men in doing community work. So, my male colleagues and I work together and support the female CFR Management Committee members to perform their jobs.”
Mr. Ly Peng Chhoun, CFR Chief – Boeng Khangek Ngout.
To enable women to assert themselves and assume full responsibility at all levels in the long term, PADM assisted in the creation of a support framework, including regularly using different tools and maintaining contact with the trainers.
Instead of being restricted to housework according to traditional gender roles, through agency and capacity building together with a demand-oriented, refined management, women were empowered to actively contribute to the development of their communities.
