presence in the bigger picture of fishing industry. There are pre- and post-production activities
these women fisher folks perform which are significant in terms of their economic and social
value. These activities include net mending, sorting fish upon landing, fish vending, trading and
market retailing, and processing and preservation (salting or drying). These women who are
engaged in post-harvest fishing activities constitute the minority of fisher folks regardless of
their major role in substantially increasing the total income of their households (Villacorta,
Lachapelle, 1998). Despite these, the participation of women before and after fish capture has
remained unnoticed and unrecognized. Their role remains insignificant and trivial in this sector
of the society. This near- invisibility resulted to their being identified as marginalized sector.
Responding to the urgent need to create a baseline data on women fisher folks, the
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) acting on its mandate as Gender and Development Ombud
under the Magna Carta of Women (MCW) undertakes this sectoral monitoring of women fisher
folks and women and girls at risk of gender-based violence (GBV) during COVID19 pandemic
in areas considered as fishing communities.
⮚ Objectives of the Sectoral Monitoring:
The monitoring or mapping of women fisherfolks aimed to:
1. Establish a baseline pertaining to the roles and participation of women in small scale
fishing and of the issues of the women fisher folks including trafficking and GenderBased Violence (GBV), the implementation of MCW provisions on women fisherfolks
and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
2. Gather during the regional data on women fisherfolks and GBV during the COVID-19
pandemic and the new normal, creating partnerships with communities and CSOs and
strengthening CHR regional office’s situation monitoring on women in the marginalized
sectors as Gender Ombud in their respective regions.
⮚ Specific Objectives include:
1. Render visible and document the roles and tasks undertaken by women fisherfolks in the
household and in the community;
2. Monitor the implementation of MCW provisions on women fisherfolks by looking at:
women’s roles; economic participation and recognition; access to information, resources
and food production; experiences of marginalization; discrimination; GBV
3. Document the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on women fisherfolks;
4. Document awareness of and availing by women fisher folks of government programs in
response to COVID19; and
5. Gather recommendations from the ground
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