[Publication] Women in fisheries – State of play and progress on gender equity in the EU

Women play a crucial but often overlooked role in global and European fisheries, especially in the small-scale fisheries sector. Although they represent nearly a quarter of the world’s primary production sector and over half of the post-harvest sector, women continue to face gender inequalities, such as unstable positions, wage gaps, under-recognition of their work and gender-based violence.

Within the EU, women are under-represented in fisheries employment overall, but their presence varies strongly by sector. The lowest registered participation is found in the fishing sector, where women account for only 3.8% of the total workforce. This value is slightly higher in the small-scale fleet (5.4%) than in the large-scale (1.9%) and distant-water fleets (2.3%). However, the data often combine employment onboard with onshore jobs that support the fishing business, therefore it is unclear how many of these women are vessel owners or crew members. The highest shares of women in fishing activities are recorded in Finland (10%), Greece (9%), Sweden (9%) and Croatia (6%). In some Member States, their contribution in full-time equivalents (FTEs) is much lower than in numbers, since many of them work onshore and combine fishing and non-fishing activities (e.g. household responsibilities, agriculture, etc.).

In EU aquaculture, women represent 22% of the total workforce, with numbers varying slightly between farming of shellfish (23%), marine finfish (23%) and freshwater finfish (18%). In terms of production technologies, women’s highest presence is in ‘on-bottom mussel production’, where they account for 30% of the workforce. The highest shares of women in aquaculture are found in Belgium (68%), Slovenia (37%), France (29%), Sweden (27%) and Spain (26%).

The landscape shifts in the fish processing industry, where women represent 56.2% of the total workforce. The highest share of female employment is in Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Spain where it amounts to more than 60%. The highest female share was observed in the largest processing enterprises (50 to over 250 employees), where they make up around 60% of staff, while in smaller companies, gender distribution is almost equal.

The EU has progressively integrated the gender dimension into the common fisheries policy. Regulation (EU) 2017/1004 promotes the collection of gender-disaggregated data in the fishing, aquaculture and processing sectors, requiring Member States to report every three years on employment, FTEs and unpaid labour. The European Parliament resolution on ‘Fishers for the future’, adopted in 2021, recognised women’s role across the fisheries value chain and called for measures to formalise their work, ensure equal pay and enhance social protection and training opportunities. Between 2017 and 2018, regional initiatives, such as the MedFish4Ever Declaration and the Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (RPOA-SSF), have also highlighted the need to strengthen women’s participation, improve their working conditions and support projects that enhance their role in the sector. In a broader EU framework, the Directive 2010/41/EU on equal treatment between men and women engaged in self-employed activities has contributed to improving visibility of women’s informal work, by granting access to spouses/life partners of self-employed fishers to social benefits. In addition, the Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025 has mainstreamed the gender dimension in fisheries funding schemes.

Sectoral support provided by sustainable fisheries partnership agreements (SFPAs) between the EU and third countries has had an impact on women in these countries. Of all job positions in the processing sector generated or maintained under the SFPAs, around 60% (equivalent to 9 000 jobs) are held by women, mainly in tuna processing plants. However, the working conditions for indirect jobs in this sector, largely dominated by women, are not defined in the protocols, unlike those for onboard workers. Sectoral support has produced tangible benefits for women in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. These include the provision of ovens for drying and smoking fish and cold storage containers, the construction of artisanal processing workshops, and support for women’s associations. Moreover, SFPAs have created opportunities for participation of fishing associations, including women’s groups, to participate in shaping the fisheries sector in partner countries. Ensuring the continued consultation and involvement of women’s groups will be essential for strengthening the gender dimension of future SFPAs.

Finally, EU fisheries funding schemes have progressively integrated gender dimension and promotion of women’s contribution to the sector. The European Fisheries Fund (EFF, 2007-2013) introduced gender equality as a cross-cutting goal, but the fund’s ex-post evaluation concluded that the impact was neutral or marginally positive. Nevertheless, priority axis 4: ‘sustainable development’ delivered positive outcomes, with eight Member States incorporating gender considerations in the selection and validation of Fisheries’ Local Action Groups (FLAGs). The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF, 2014–2020) further promoted the role of women in fishing communities and equal opportunities, extending the support to life partners and spouses. The interim evaluation report of the EMFF does not explicitly address gender considerations. Under the current funding scheme, the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF, 2021−2027), Member States are required to collect and report gender-disaggregated data on beneficiaries, enhancing the visibility of women’s participation. In line with the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020−2025, the call for ‘Women in the Blue Economy’ was launched within this framework. To have a lasting impact, future funding schemes under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028−2034) must build on the lessons learned from the EFF, EMFF and EMFAF, while also addressing the systemic barriers that still prevent women from working in the sector.