Women fish processors in Senegal are demanding legal status and recognition from authorities, highlighting their critical role in the country’s food security. Despite being essential to feeding the nation through their work in processing and distributing fish, these women operate without formal legal recognition, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and without access to social protections. The processors, who form a vital link in Senegal’s fisheries value chain, face numerous challenges including lack of access to credit, training, and decision-making power in the sector. Their call for legal status aims to secure their livelihoods, improve working conditions, and ensure their contributions to the fisheries sector are formally acknowledged. This movement underscores broader issues of gender inequality in Africa’s fishing industries, where women often dominate post-harvest activities but remain marginalized in policy and governance structures.
Original source: “We feed Senegal, but the law doesn’t recognize us”: women fish processors demand legal status – greenpeace.org