Women in fisheries

Year level: Upper secondary Learning outcome Students will investigate the causes and consequences of women's limited participation in the fisheries industry Read the case study Women and Fisheries: Opening access in the Marshall Islands Outline the differences between the work of men and women in the Marshall Islands. Use the Consequences chart to suggest the consequences of the differences for the women, their families, their communities and the Marshall Islands of the limited opportunities for women. Discuss How could 'increasing women's opportunities for greater participation' in fisheries industries improve their incomes, their lives and those of their families and communities? What sorts of support do women have to have to ensure that their participation does not become yet another task on top of their existing workload? How effective might the project strategies be in improving the lives women, their families and the community? Select one of the following roles and prepare a short response to present to the class: Government official Imagine you are an officer of the Marshall Islands Government responsible for 'raising public awareness' of the benefits to all Islanders of women's greater participation in fisheries activities. Outline the key points of your education program. List the strategies and the media you would use to reach most Marshallese people. Plan how you would gauge the effectiveness of your program Teacher Imagine you are a teacher in a Marshall Islands primary or secondary school promoting the role of women in fisheries to your students. List the changes in attitudes and behaviour necessary to improve the participation of women in the local fisheries industry. Develop two activities you might include to assist boys and girls make these changes. Member of Parliament Imagine you are a member of the Marshall Islands government responsible for 'improving transport and communications between the islands and other destinations for the development of the fisheries industry. List the advantages and disadvantages of improved transport and communication for: men women the environment the economy Develop a strategy for overcoming some of the disadvantages, including increased contact with the outside world Woman Imagine you are a woman who has been assisted by the Women in Fisheries Development (WFD) Project. Explain what activities you have undertaken and how it has assisted you and your family. Suggest other programs to address the obstacles you confront Discuss How would these plans work together? How would the changes suggested impact on women and men? What are the priorities for these changes? What other information will be needed to gauge whether the benefits outweigh the social, environmental and economic costs? Assessment task Write a short evaluation of the effectiveness of the plans suggested by the groups to improve the lives of women, their families, communities and the environment.