Fisherwomen Must Be Recognised as Economic Pillars: CFTUI
Lakshmi demanded that fisherwomen be acknowledged as rightful stakeholders in all fisheries’ laws, with protection guaranteed to them in inland, coastal and marine rights. She called for equal access to water bodies and coastal resources, as well as representation in government, cooperative and social institutions.
Visakhapatnam: Coinciding with the International Fisher Women’s Day celebrations in the port city of Visakhapatnam, the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of India (CFTUI) has demanded that fisherwomen must be recognised as being among the central contributors to the Indian economy.
Speaking at a function on the occasion, CFTUI national president N. Kanaka Rao pointed out that fisherwomen have long sustained coastal and inland communities through working in fish markets, drying fish and selling them.
Kanaka Rao underlined that fisherwomen have preserved traditional knowledge of marine biodiversity, managed household economies, and upheld social welfare and cultural practices, while their men ventured into the sea. Thus, their contributions, he said, are foundational to both local economies and environmental stewardship.
Speaking at a press conference later, AP Fish Workers Union president K. Lakshmi requested both central and state governments to formally recognise the role of fisherwomen in economic, cultural and commercial spheres. She maintained that nearly 90 per cent of fish is processed and traded by women after it is caught. Yet their work remains invisible in policy and governance.
Lakshmi demanded that fisherwomen be acknowledged as rightful stakeholders in all fisheries’ laws, with protection guaranteed to them in inland, coastal and marine rights. She called for equal access to water bodies and coastal resources, as well as representation in government, cooperative and social institutions.
Her other demands include a halt to forced land and coastal acquisitions in the name of development, inclusion of fisherwomen in all disaster compensation schemes, implementation of accident insurance and maternity benefits, and social protection programmes tailored to fisherwomen’s needs.
The AP Fish Workers Union president stressed the importance of including women leaders from fishing communities in decision-making forums. She appealed to policymakers to recognise fisherwomen not just as workers, but as custodians of ecological knowledge, economic resilience and cultural continuity.
