National Gender Mainstreaming Strategy for the Fisheries Sector

The strategy aims to promote equal opportunities for women and men in the fisheries sector, addressing the existing gender disparities and promoting gender equality. The fisheries sector in Ghana is a significant contributor to the country's economy, with the value chain involving various stakeholders, including fishermen, processors, and traders. A gender analysis of the sector reveals that women play a crucial role in the value chain, particularly in processing and trading, but face numerous challenges, including limited access to resources, markets, and decision-making opportunities. The Gender Mainstreaming Strategy (GMS) identifies key areas of intervention, including capacity building, gender budgeting, and partnerships and collaboration. The strategy also emphasizes the importance of accountability to gender equality, human and material resources, and gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluation. The GMS action plan for 2017-2022 outlines specific objectives, indicators, and targets for promoting gender equality in the fisheries sector. The plan includes objectives such as increasing women's participation in decision-making, improving access to resources and markets, and enhancing women's economic empowerment. The strategy also recognizes the importance of partnerships and collaboration in achieving its objectives. MOFAD has partnered with various organizations, including the University of Rhode Island, SNV Ghana, and local NGOs, to support the implementation of the GMS. The GMS is based on a theory of change that assumes that by promoting gender equality, the fisheries sector will become more productive, efficient, and sustainable. The strategy also recognizes the importance of monitoring and evaluation in tracking progress and making adjustments as needed. The GMS has been developed through a participatory process involving various stakeholders, including fishermen, processors, traders, and government officials. The strategy is expected to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 5 on gender equality and Goal 14 on the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans. The implementation of the GMS will require the allocation of resources, including human and financial resources. MOFAD has committed to allocating a significant portion of its budget to support the implementation of the GMS. The GMS is expected to have a positive impact on the fisheries sector, including increased productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. The strategy is also expected to contribute to the empowerment of women and the promotion of gender equality in the sector. The GMS has been developed in accordance with international, regional, and national policies, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the African Union's Maputo Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa. The GMS has been validated through a series of focus group discussions and validation workshops involving various stakeholders. The strategy has been endorsed by MOFAD and is expected to be implemented in collaboration with various partners. The GMS has been developed in six annexes, including an annex on international, regional, and national policies, an annex on gender disparities in the fisheries sector, an annex on GMS M&E questions, an annex on the GMS goal, results, and indicators matrix, an annex on the GMS theory of change, and an annex on terminologies used in the GMS. The GMS is a critical step towards promoting gender equality in the fisheries sector and contributing to the achievement of the SDGs. The strategy is expected to have a positive impact on the sector and contribute to the empowerment of women.