Training of Trainers - Library - Network of Aquaculture Centres in ...

major percentage of staff, the need for gender sensitive policies and actions is felt. Hence, to bring change in anorganizational environment, it is necessary that top management must be educated on gender and constantefforts should be made to develop gender sensitive policies and programs to address the issues confronting thesystem. CARE Bangladesh management recognized this as an organizational issue and introduced policies toensure not only gender balanced staff recruitment, but also make conscious efforts to ensure gender is part of allprojects (Debashish, et.al., 2001). When women extension staff were recruited and given small bike to reachvillages, these staff were faced with many challenges since men did not want to see the women driving the bike.Constant support from the management helped the staff to overcome the problem and today driving a vehicle bywomen in rural Bangladesh is no longer considered as an uncommon activity.Benefits from the increased participation of women in aquacultue(a) Enhanced social status of womenParticipation of women in aquaculture activities is generally not viewed as a womanly activity, particularly in manyof the conservative societies of South Asia. In this cultural context, often women are not even targeted by variousagencies, assuming that aquaculture is an activity for men to be carried out by men. In Bangladesh, efforts madeby a number of NGOs have contributed for a major change to include women in aquaculture activities. Acquisitionof knowledge and skill and active participation in aquaculture activities have changed the status of women withinthe family as well as in the society. However, in these conservative societies, in the early stages, their participationin aquaculture was viewed negatively and heavily criticized. Persuasion with the community leaders and familiesto participate in this activity that can be carried out most easily has resulted in good output (Debashish et.al.,2001).(b) Improved position of women in the family:When women acquire knowledge and skill on aquaculture and contribute to family income, it has been seen thatthe position of women in the family improves visibly (Vimala, et.al., 2004). Women in Bangladesh involved inculture of freshwater prawn depended on men in the family to manage the ponds before they acquired knowledgeand skill in the area. However, once the women participated in the learning sessions and gained practical skills,they were viewed more as equal contributors to family income by men in the family (Nandeesha, 2004). Further,once the women were able to carry out the activity independently, they also began to gain control on the incomeearned and decide on the way the resources spent on the family improvement. In the Oxbow lake project too, itwas observed that once women were able to initiate aquaculture activity and earn income, their position in thefamily changed. Women were able to buy the personal and family necessities using the resources available attheir discretion. In several instances in Cambodia, women had gained substantial voice in the family managementwith the extra income they could earn through involvement in aquaculture (Nandeesha, et.al., 1994).(c) Improved nutrition of the family:Involvement of women in aquaculture has always ensured higher priority for consumption of the fish producedfrom the backyard pond for consumption within the family. This has been very common in Cambodia wherewomen themselves could harvest fish by using simple nets like hook and line, scoop net, drag net, etc.Considerable portion of the harvested fish was shared with relatives and friends. Such distribution of valuable fooditem like fish also has contributed for the enhanced image of the family in the community. In the cage cultureproject in Bangladesh, women who were actively involved in cage management always ensured, harvested fishutility for family consumption. Cage culture of fish also provided an opportunity to treat guests and relatives byeasily harvesting fish from cages without depending on men in the family. Women have expressed great interestin managing cages by placing them in ponds located close to the houses or in open water bodies close to theirplace of residence.136