abstract: 'The contributions of women to fisheries are often invisible, ignored,

  and unrecognized even though they represent 47\% of the global fisheries

  workforce, especially in pre- and post-production activities. Poor data

  systems lead to incorrect assumptions about the gender division of labor

  in fisheries. This causes the role of women in fisheries to be

  overlooked. To evaluate the contribution of women in the value chain, a

  participatory methodology was implemented in three small-scale,

  fisheries in Mexico: California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus)

  fishery from the northern Mexican Pacific, penshell (Atrina maura)

  fishery from the Gulf of California, and Caribbean spiny lobster

  (Panulirus argus) fishery from the Mesoamerican Reef region. This study

  shows an unequal inclusion of men and women as members of the fishing

  cooperatives where only 4\%, 5\%, and 20\% are women in spiny lobster,

  red lobster, and penshell, respectively, and in the distribution of

  direct jobs (1 out of 6.7 jobs was held by a woman). These results

  indicate limited opportunities for women to access leadership positions.

  However, the participation percentages increased dramatically when we

  considered the fishery system (i.e., both direct and indirect jobs),

  with women accounting for 43\%, 21\%, and 37\% of the California spiny

  lobster, penshell, and Caribbean spiny lobster fishery workforce,

  respectively. Women represented 39\% of the workforce in pre-production

  activities, 2\% in production, 29\% in post-production, and 56\% in

  complementary to production. Women tended to participate in two or more

  activities at the same time, generally combining work, household, and

  community activities. The participation of women in fisheries could be

  equivalent to a second working day, and even when this effort is present

  in similarly in three fisheries, their contribution is yet to be

  acknowledged in order to incorporate women in decision-making. The

  analysis of the value chain and the fishery system provided a more

  realistic picture of the contribution of women to fisheries than an

  analysis focused solely on extraction. This work further analyzed the

  importance and degree of participation of women in fishing cooperatives

  and the decision-making process. Strategies to reduce gender disparity

  are needed to encourage inclusion of women in fisheries decision-making.'
affiliation: 'Lopez-Ercilla, I (Corresponding Author), Comunidad \& Biodiversidad
  AC, Guaymas, Mexico.

  Solano, Neyra; Lopez-Ercilla, Ines; Fernandez-Rivera Melo, Francisco J.; Torre,
  Jorge, Comunidad \& Biodiversidad AC, Guaymas, Mexico.'
article-number: '617965'
author: Solano, Neyra and Lopez-Ercilla, Ines and Fernandez-Rivera Melo, Francisco
  J. and Torre, Jorge
author-email: ilopez@cobi.org.mx
author_list:
- family: Solano
  given: Neyra
- family: Lopez-Ercilla
  given: Ines
- family: Fernandez-Rivera Melo
  given: Francisco J.
- family: Torre
  given: Jorge
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.617965
eissn: 2296-7745
files: []
journal: FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
keywords: 'fishery system; employment; Mexico; small-scale fishery; fisheries value

  chain; gender division of labor; women; gender equality'
keywords-plus: 'RESOURCE-MANAGEMENT; ISLA ARENA; GENDER; CONSERVATION; ACCESS;

  SUSTAINABILITY; FISH'
language: English
month: JAN 15
number-of-cited-references: '73'
orcid-numbers: Melo, Francisco Javier Fernández-Rivera/0000-0003-4569-917X
papis_id: 0bd7092b1068883615ea538eeb1cca58
ref: Solano2021unveilingwomens
researcherid-numbers: Melo, Francisco Javier Fernández-Rivera/AAU-2241-2021
times-cited: '12'
title: Unveiling Women's Roles and Inclusion in Mexican Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF)
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000612359800001
usage-count-last-180-days: '2'
usage-count-since-2013: '12'
volume: '7'
web-of-science-categories: Environmental Sciences; Marine \& Freshwater Biology
year: '2021'