Enhancing Rural Women’s Participation in Fisheries: Post- Harvest Livelihoods, Ilocos Region, Philippines

In Region 1, Northwestern Luzon, Philippines, the aquaculture subsector contributes about 68% of the total fish production. Milkfish (Chanos chanos) comprises 87% of aquaculture production. Women have received little attention in fisheries and aquaculture development. In 2004, to improve the livelihoods of women and to enhance the contributions of this major aquaculture industry in Region 1, the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in collaboration with the Local Government Units (LGUs), trained women’s groups to develop skills, add value to the excess produce and create jobs and increase incomes. The BFAR Gender and Development (GAD) Project assisted nine Rural Improvement Clubs (RICs). Women were trained to debone and smoke milkfish deboning, GAD orientation, fish value-adding, packaging and labeling, simple book-keeping and financial management including leadership management for some of the officers and field tours (lakbay-aral). Equipment and materials were granted to facilitate implementation, improvement and expansion of their fish deboning and smoking activities. This paper reports on how the RICs developed and coped with their different circumstances as the project matured after its inception in 2004. It concludes with suggestions on what is needed to sustain and improve these women-centered activities.