Women in Fisheries in Asia

This paper begins with a review of the cultural and political background of selected Asian countries (Bangladesh,Cambodia, Kuwait, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, the Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, SriLanka, Thailand and Vietnam). The focus of the paper is on the importance of the fisheries industry in theseeconomies and the involvement of women in the fisheries industry. Women in most of these countries do notenjoy the basic human rights that their male counterparts enjoy. Issues pertaining to gender inequality in thefisheries sector, and solutions to overcome some of these issues are also discussed.