Rural Women Status Report on CEDAW 2011

Fisheries

PKKK Thematic Papers_3

Rights of Women Fishers

Magna Carta of Women or RA 9710 defines fisherfolk (women) as those directly or
indirectly engaged in taking, culturing, or processing fishery or aquatic resources. These
include, but are not to be limited to, women engaged in fishing in municipal waters, costal
and marine areas, women workers in commercial fishing and aquaculture, vendors and
processors of fish and coastal products, and subsistence producers such as shell-gatherers,
managers and producers of mangrove resources, and other related producers.
The Magna Carta of Women is an important legislative milestone for women in the fisheries
sector because it clearly defines and recognizes their marginalization in resource
management and governance as a result of gender-based discrimination. It also addresses
and rectifies the common notion of fishing as a work of men that resulted in the continuing
marginalization of women fishers.
Furthermore, women fishers are guaranteed specific rights and entitlements such as equal
rights to utilize, manage, develop and benefit from fisheries and aquatic resources, equal
opportunities for empowerment and participation in resource management, governance and
other relevant economic activities.
Gender Issues in the Fisheries Sector
Available data on women workers in the fisheries sector shows that women comprise 8.1%
or 117 of the total 1, 444 persons employed by the fishing industry in 2007. In terms of
average daily basic pay in the fishing industry, men receive Php160.1 while women only get
Php145.4 or 10% difference.1 The nature of employment is often seasonal and does not
include data on women engaged in unpaid labors and subsistence activities.
Non-recognition of women fishers role as equally important stakeholders undervalues their
significant labor and socio-economic contribution in fisheries development despite their
valuable participation. It also resulted to various gender issues in the fisheries sector
particularly lack of gender-disaggregated statistical information and gender analysis useful
for policy and program development; discriminatory fisheries registration and licensing
system; lack of comprehensive and integrative program and budget allocation for women
fishers; and limited involvement of women in the formulation/planning and implementation
of fisheries policies and programs at all levels.
These issues hinder realization of women fishers equal rights to development such as
resource depletion, coastal habitat degradation, weak fishery law enforcement, lack of
access to basic social services, non-utilization of the GAD budget for improving women
fishers welfare and the prevalence of violence against women and children in coastal areas.
Recognition of Women Fishers as a Continuing Struggle
As embodied in the Fisheries Code of 1998 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations and
stipulated in the Bureau of Fisheries Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Comprehensive National
Fisheries Industry Development Plan (CNFIDP), fishers should undergo the process of
1

BLES-DOLE

Rural Women Status Report on CEDAW 2011

Fisheries

PKKK Thematic Papers_3

registration and licensing to be legitimately recognized and be entitled to fishery rights.

However, realization of these policies has remained elusive with the absence of
corresponding enabling local policies such as municipal or city ordinances, and Fisheries
Administrative Order at the national level; hampered with weak implementation and law
enforcement and coupled with unfunded programs.
Existing registration process and licensing schemes are discriminatory against women
fishers with lack of clear standard procedure on municipal fisheries registration and
licensing being implemented by the LGUs. For a long time, the forms formulated are
production-oriented wherein most of the data being asked are related to capture fisheries
and seem to disregard gender data relevant to the formulation of gender responsive
fisheries programs and policies. Through the engagement of PKKK in engendering fisheries
registration, the BFAR has now its updated form that somewhat incorporated information
associated to women fishers. However, the challenge remains at the local level in
implementing a gender-responsive fisheries registration and licensing.
Furthermore, unaffordable registration and licensing fees, time-consuming process and lack
of orientation about the importance of the process also hinder women fishers in the process.
The non-registration worsen their marginalization and unequal access to and control over
the resources and benefits from fisheries programs and other related development projects.
It also undermines their bargaining power in the economic market and excludes them in
decision or policy-making processes and other related governance activities in the fisheries
sector. In the context of a changing climate, non-registration of women fishers has
implications to them especially in claiming rights to various social protection programs such
as settlement tenurial security, social and health insurances, credit and livelihood
opportunities in order for them to adapt and be resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Womens Participation in Fisheries Governance and Resource Management
FARMCs
Leadership in existing fisheries governance structures and even within fisherfolk
organizations continue to be dominated by men even with existing policies on womens
participation.
The Magna Carta of Women guarantees womens equal rights to
representation and participation in policy-decision making bodies with 40% of development
councils and planning bodies at the regional down to the barangay level shall be composed
of women; while the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (FARMCs) under
the Fisheries Code provides for a seat for women representatives in local FARMCs though it is
not clearly articulated in the National FARMC.
There is a lack of clear data on the quality and level of womens participation in FARMCs and
other development or planning bodies. PKKK study cited that local FARMCs are functioning at
a varying degree with only a limited number of women involved. Even if women are
represented, men still control the organizational processes as they occupy the key positions.
FARMCs in some LGUs are not even convened and not performing the way they should be
which affects meaningful public participation of women fishers in fisheries management.

Rural Women Status Report on CEDAW 2011

Fisheries

PKKK Thematic Papers_3

Bantay Dagat
The Magna Carta of Women provides for the eradication of discrimination against women in
deputizing Bantay Dagat, and yet discrimination of women still happens. PKKK members,
who implemented projects on women-managed areas 2 in Mercedes in Camarines Norte,
Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur, Calbayog City in Western Samar, Bolinao in Pangasinan and
Bacon in Sorsogon, among other areas, actively participate as members of Bantay Dagat
Teams in the implementation of local fishery ordinances and fisheries apprehension. They
said that women are discouraged to participate in the conduct of trainings for potential
Bantay Dagat because of the belief that law enforcement entails physical activities that are
perceived as not appropriate to women such as patrolling, arresting and/or confronting of
illegal fishers.
Women-Managed Areas
According to NSCB 2006 Poverty Statistics for the Basic Sectors, fisherfolk has the highest
poverty incidence of 66.9 especially in the CARAGA, ARRM and Region V. Unsustainable
fisheries further drives fishing communities into extreme poverty conditions. The depletion
and degradation of coastal resources affects their economic productivity of coastal
communities and their everyday subsistence. The decline of fish catch and unviable fishing
gives additional burden to women fisher since they are the ones who manage the budget
and expenditures of fishing households. They are obliged to find other means and sources of
income in order to sustain the needs of their families. Thus, coastal and fisheries resource
management is highly important for their survival.
PKKK women leaders in Sorsogon, Cavite, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Pangasinan,
Surigao, Quezon Province, Northern Samar, and Zambales have been directly and actively
involved in resource management initiatives such as mangrove reforestation, coastal cleanups, information and education campaign on fisheries policies, establishment and
maintenance of marine sanctuaries, and even in patrolling of the fishing grounds. However,
their contributions do not extend to other phases of resource management particularly in
decision-making. Women are accorded a secondary role relative to those given to men such
as in the FARMCs, Bantay Dagat and fisherfolk organizations.
GAD
PKKK study also cited that the 5% GAD budget are usually allocated for activities not
intended for addressing gender issues and improving the welfare of women in the area. They
are spent on celebration of womens day, conduct of cosmetology training as a livelihood
opportunity, and construction of roads among others. In other LGUs such as in Candelaria
Zambales, the GAD budget is allocated for the honorarium and activities of their health
workers (BHW and BNS) aside from the regular budget allocated for the same. Some LGUs
like the Province of Sorsogon have their own GAD Code, however implementation of such is
another issue.
2

. Women-managed Area: Management of Women Fishers. A project implemented by Budyong-PLKP in 2008 through the
Leadership Development Programme for Women funded by Oxfam Great Britain.

Rural Women Status Report on CEDAW 2011

Fisheries

PKKK Thematic Papers_3

Governments Program for Women in the Fisheries Sector

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has instituted its GAD Focal Point as a
mechanism to mainstream gender in the fisheries sector. Through its Fisheries Office Order
No. 25 series of 2010, the GAD Focal Point was reconstituted to provide directions in the GAD
mainstreaming initiatives of the Bureau and implement specific programs and projects
pursuant to GAD as one of its major functions. It also reported that gender mainstreaming
within and among government agencies is one of the strategies employed to enhance its
institutional capacities pursuant to GAD. Both men and women employees were included in
capacity-building activities. Moreover, the BFAR GAD Focal Point is engaging civil society
groups and partners on specific GAD-related projects. For instance, through the Inter-Agency
Committee on Rural Women and Development, the PKKK, through its Fisheries Cluster has
been working closely with the BFAR GAD Focal Point in promoting women fishers agenda (i.e.
pilot campaign project on gender-responsive fisheries registration and licensing).
In terms of information generation, the BFAR has now started to maintain sex-disaggregated
data (e.g. beneficiaries of trainings and technical assistance for livelihood programs
conducted by the different regions) as reported in their GAD accomplishment reports.
However, the absence of a clear mechanism and guideline to generate sex-disaggregated
data and gender analysis on fisheries profile in terms of fish production, number of fishers
and their socio-economic contributions, access to resources, fisheries governance, fisheries
project impacts, and other relevant gender data as basis for program and policy formulation
remains a challenge for the Bureau and the entire fisheries sector in general.
Fisheries Indicators
Recognition
of
Women
Fishers
Increased
registration
and
licensing of Women Fishers

Increased
Participation
and
representation
of women and
women fishers interests in
FARMCs, Bantay Dagat, WMA and
GAD

Laws/Policies/ Programs that

Promote Gender Equality Hinder Gender Equality
Magna Carta of Women or
RA 9710

Magna Carta of Women

Sections 17 and 22 of RA
8550 or Fisheries Code of
1998
and
its
Implementing Rules and
Regulations
CNFIDP (still unfunded)
Absence of enabling local
policies such as municipal
or city ordinances, and
Fisheries
Administrative
Order at the national level
National
Fisheries
and
Aquatic
Resources
Management
Councils
(FARMCs)
Bantay
Deputization

Dagat

Rural Women Status Report on CEDAW 2011

Fisheries

PKKK Thematic Papers_3

Recommendations:
To increase registration and licensing of Women Fishers:
Strict implementation of Fish code at the local level, with emphasis on nondiscriminatory practices;
Engage LGUs to enact local ordinances;
Issue separate Administrative guidelines on Women Fishers Registration, providing
women-friendly mechanisms for implementation:
1.
waiving of registration fees for women whose husbands are already registered
as fishers
2.
LGU-subsidized registration fees gender sensitive registration forms
Upscaling of genderized registration forms in LGUs with existing ordinances, etc.
Conduct IEC on municipal registration and how to make MFO gender responsive
(LGUs) Dialogue with DILG/LGUs Leagues;
Nationwide campaign for women fishers registration; conduct of on-site registration
processes;
Monitoring/ documentation on impact of fisherfolk registration for women fishers
(gathering positive experiences that would convince other women on the benefits of
being recognized and registered).
To increase participation and representation of women and women fishers interests in
FARMCs, Bantay Dagat, WMA and GAD:
Issue guidelines on the composition of the FARMCs, indicating womens
representation should comprise 30-40% of the membership
Conduct policy review vis--vis compliance to the Magna Carta of Women;
Conduct policy dialogues with women fishers group and women members of the
FARMCs-also with DILG and LGU Leagues; (
Capacity building for women fishers organizations and women members of mixed
fishers organizations
LGUs should incorporate WMAs in comprehensive programs on coastal resource
management and even in community-based ecotourism programs-issue local ordinanceengage LGUs in policy drafting, advocacy and implementation;
LGUs to explore allocating budget to subsidize credit interests;

Engage national and regional agency in budget formulation-budget proposal for

specific gender programs and projects; provision of post-harvest facilities such as fish
dryer and fish processing equipments can be funded by the GAD budget;
Capacity building for women leaders on budget advocacy-from formulation to budget
monitoring