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

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(d) Education to children:The <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>of</strong> women <strong>in</strong> aquaculture has helped <strong>in</strong> many cases to improve the education <strong>of</strong> children. Thepriority women have always given to utilize the <strong>in</strong>come earned from aquaculture is to spend on the education <strong>of</strong>children. In an aquaculture project under operation <strong>in</strong> Tribal area, the women prioritized the benefits <strong>of</strong> aquacultureas an <strong>in</strong>come source to cover the family education and health expenses (Nandeesha, et.al., 2006). As the fish <strong>of</strong>any size can be sold at any <strong>of</strong> the year <strong>in</strong> eastern part <strong>of</strong> India and Bangladesh, farmers always viewed, fish pondas a live bank as they can harvest fish and sell whenever money is needed. Harvest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> fish from the culturedponds is still considered as the ma<strong>in</strong> doma<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> men. This contributes the dependence <strong>of</strong> women on men toharvest the fish when needed. In Bangladesh, women were tra<strong>in</strong>ed to harvest fish by cast nett<strong>in</strong>g or by dragg<strong>in</strong>g.Though society viewed this as a manly attitude <strong>in</strong> the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g, with the passage <strong>of</strong> time recognition for the newskills acquired by women is seen.(e) Increased susta<strong>in</strong>ability to aquaculture:<strong>Aquaculture</strong> activity has been found to susta<strong>in</strong> and expand when women are actively <strong>in</strong>volved by realiz<strong>in</strong>g thepractical benefits from the activity (Kusakabe and Kelkar, 2001; Nandeesha, et.al., 1994; Nandeesha, 2004). Thepond fish culture activity <strong>in</strong> Cambodia is susta<strong>in</strong>ed by closely l<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g with village level seed production and nurs<strong>in</strong>gactivity. Several hatcheries have been established by the farmers themselves, particularly through <strong>in</strong>novationsthat have contributed for the evolution <strong>of</strong> several new type <strong>of</strong> practical hatcheries. In Bangladesh, rice –fish activity<strong>in</strong> the poor regions <strong>of</strong> Northwest has been found to be susta<strong>in</strong>ed with the active <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>of</strong> women. Infreshwater prawn farm<strong>in</strong>g, education to women to adopt environment friendly aquaculture practices like reduction<strong>in</strong> the usage <strong>of</strong> snail meat, grow<strong>in</strong>g paddy along with prawn as a concurrent crop. Most importantly, large dykesleft unused have now been used for rais<strong>in</strong>g vegetable crops. All this has contributed reduction <strong>in</strong> risk and<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g susta<strong>in</strong>ability <strong>of</strong> the activity. Pesticide usage <strong>in</strong> paddy cultivation has been brought down to m<strong>in</strong>imal andmany farmers grow paddy without us<strong>in</strong>g the pesticide. This has been ma<strong>in</strong>ly accomplished by educat<strong>in</strong>g wife andchildren and exert<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>direct pressure on the family to avoid us<strong>in</strong>g any harmful substances.(f) Efficient utility <strong>of</strong> the wastes through aquaculture:Participation <strong>of</strong> women <strong>in</strong> aquaculture has shown that all the wastes available from the kitchen and the farm arebest utilized for grow<strong>in</strong>g fish. In Bangladesh, cage culture project experienced the growth <strong>of</strong> fish <strong>in</strong> womenmanaged cages through the better utility <strong>of</strong> wastes. Women ensured regular feed<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> fish with the left overmaterial from kitchen. In Cambodia, women utilized various types <strong>of</strong> weeds like Lemna, Azolla, termites, etc asfeed to the grow<strong>in</strong>g fish and the bio-resource map developed <strong>in</strong>dicated that farmers used more than twentydifferent wastes as feed to grow fish.Key policy and implementation issues to enhance women participation:<strong>Aquaculture</strong> need women, but whether women need aquaculture?. This is a pert<strong>in</strong>ent question raised by Fels<strong>in</strong>get.al (2000). Clearly, <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g household responsibilities and work load <strong>of</strong> women without ensur<strong>in</strong>g that womenderive the benefit from the new activity will not ensure susta<strong>in</strong>ability. However, aquaculture when carried withadequate care and <strong>in</strong>vestment, yield<strong>in</strong>g much greater return on <strong>in</strong>vestment as compared any other agriculturalactivity carried out by farmers, there is a need to consider aquaculture as a tool to empower women. It should alsobe noted that <strong>in</strong> small scale subsistence aquaculture women <strong>in</strong>volvement is seen, but with the <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>tensity<strong>of</strong> aquaculture, women are excluded from the system (Kusakabe, 2003). This is an important issue that need to beconsidered. With the <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>tensity <strong>of</strong> aquaculture, as the system call for greater degree <strong>of</strong> management andnegotiation with outside agencies for supply <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>puts as well as market<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the produce, requir<strong>in</strong>g greaternegotiation appear to reduce women participation. FAO report (2001) po<strong>in</strong>ts out that time and labour can constra<strong>in</strong>women’s greater participation or greater <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> aquaculture. However, Kusakabe (2003) op<strong>in</strong>es that theseare not the major obstacles <strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> women <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g their decision mak<strong>in</strong>g power <strong>in</strong> aquaculture activities or137

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