As the COVID-19 pandemic threatened the tiny Ilha de Maré off the coast of Salvador, Brazil, Eliete Paraguassu, a 42-year-old shellfish harvester, mobilized her community. To avoid the spread of the virus, Paraguassu spurred the community to erect physical barriers to deter tourists who, despite the pandemic, never ceased trying to visit the island. And with the closure of the street market, which crippled the community’s fish sales and left residents with less money and few options to leave the island to buy groceries, Paraguassu and the other fishers began growing their own food.
“We implemented a productive yards policy,” Paraguassu says. “People, especially women, started to plant arugula, pumpkins, okra, and coriander. And we began to eat more fish.”
The women’s group led by Paraguassu established partnerships with NGOs and a local university, and members were trained to keep the community protected from the virus. They received and distributed donations of face masks and hand sanitizer, and treated people with traditional medicine.
“With our actions, we were able to keep our community alive and healthy. Nobody died from COVID-19,” she says.
Paraguassu’s story is uplifting, but it is not exceptional. According to a recently published study examining how small fishing communities in Brazil have coped with the pandemic, female leaders often took on vital roles in ensuring their communities’ subsistence, and in helping to prevent contagion. In fact, the research suggests that in Brazil’s fishing communities, the pandemic has thrust women into more prominent positions, leading to something of a shift in the balance of power.
Read more:
How Female Fishers Are Leading Their Communities through the Pandemic