To open the workshop, BFAR Bicol Public Information Officer Nonie Enolva presented the current status quo with regards to gender inequality in the small-scale fishing industry. “These women, they’re so detail oriented. They really structure their day, and every thirty minutes they have something new to do. Then what do they say about their lives? That they just stay at home. That’s not true. There’s far more to what they do,” said Enolva, stressing the point that even the role of managing household affairs is valuable and important.

Following the presentation, participants broke off into smaller groups while representatives from the Tambuyog Development Center probed them about their existing perceptions of the different roles played by men and women. An innovative workshop was conducted as well, which mapped out the various resources being worked by the community, and whether it was the men or the women who got the last say in how they were farmed and used.

The workshops revealed a common conception held by the male participants – that the role of fishing should be left to men, as they are physically stronger. This conception was also shared by many of the women, who saw themselves as the keepers of the house. Fish resources were therefore left to men, while the collection of sea shells on the shore was seen as a job for the women, as it requires less physical ability.

“Who told you women are too weak to fish? Did you ask them? Did you teach them how to? You can’t tell them they can’t fish if you don’t give them the chance to learn how to fish in the first place,” said Tambuyog Development Center Social Enterprise Specialist Ronald Rodriguez, stressing the importance of gender equality in fisheries. These perceptions of gender differences are born from culture and history, agreed Rodriguez, but it is in the best interest of communities for women to be treated fairly.