The FAO-supported initiative, CAFI-SSF Network (the Global Network for capacity building to increase access of small-scale fisheries to financial services) has organized several knowledge-sharing webinars that covered microfinance and insurance guidelines for small-scale fisheries (SSF); the role of fish farmer producer organizations in facilitating inclusive financial services for SSF; and best practices within fisheries and aquaculture insurance sector. This webinar focuses on women in SSF to enhance their entrepreneurship skills and access to financial services by applying best practices that may be beneficial to nations and institutions for replication.
Women play an important role in fishery value chain activities, including aquaculture, mariculture, post-harvest processing, fish marketing and distribution. According to recent study findings of Illuminating Hidden Harvests (IHH), 45 mn women participate in SSF value chain, representing 40 per cent of the estimated labour force engaged in SSF. Worldwide, women are engaged in post- harvest activity where they account for roughly 50 per cent of the labour force in the processing (sorting and grading), transporting, trading, and selling of small-scale fisheries catch. Fish-processing facilities employ a workforce predominantly comprising women working on an output-based contract basis with minimal insurance and social-security benefits. Further, women face constraints to access essential productive resources and services, technology, market information, financial assets, and financial services to fulfil their working capital requirements as well as their household lifecycle needs.
Although women’s contribution in SSF is economically and socially important, it receives minimal attention while formulating fisheries policies and programmes. Hence, it is critical for policymakers and financial service providers (FSPs) to recognize the role of women in SSF value chain activities. Taking into consideration the unique business characteristics of the SSF sector, there is a special need to design and develop well-suited products and services to facilitate an inclusive financial services programme and provide women an opportunity to harness economic benefits from the profitable SSF sector.
CAFI-SSF, through this webinar, brings to its member organizations and interested participants an informative session on initiatives in the Asian and African regions that support access to finance for women in the SSF value chain.
The CAFI-SSF webinar is organized for all stakeholders involved with SSF finance and insurance.
You may RSVP to the CAFI-SSF coordinator:cafi-ssf@fao.org
You can join the Zoom meeting at:
https://fao.zoom.us/j/94940933294
Meeting ID: 949 4093 3294
Passcode: CAFI-SSF