Empowering Women in Small-Scale Fisheries for Sustainable Food Systems 2020-2021 Ghana

To support sustainable fish food systems and nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) provided funding to the FAO to support initial project activities in five countries (Sierra Leone, Malawi, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania) with a focus on strengthening women's roles in the small-scale fisheries post-harvest sector. Three surveys were developed to capture information from various stakeholders:

- Individual/Household level: The baseline study conducted for this project included individual intercept surveys targeting women as actors in small-scale fisheries value chains. The purpose of the survey was to understand both the individual respondent (i.e., the woman) and her household's involvement in fisheries, how they acquire and consume fish, their experiences of food security and dietary practices, and participation in fisheries governance and organizations. Approxtaimely 300 women were surveyed per country. This study was conducted for baseline monitoring and evaluation of the project “Empowering women in small-scale fisheries for sustainable food systems”.

- Focus group discussions: Focus group discussions were held in each landing site alongside data collection using other survey instruments. The purpose of the focus group discussions was to elicit qualitative data reflecting the opinions of women from the same fish landing sites on key issues affecting their work, status, and roles in the sector. This included their opinions of discrimination or harassment against women, their voice in decision-making and ability to influence fisheries governance, changes in gender relations over time, and their access to training, facilities, and assets needed to conduct their fisheries activities. This study was conducted for baseline monitoring and evaluation of the project “Empowering women in small-scale fisheries for sustainable food systems”.

- Individuals (with policy-level influence in the small-scale fishing sector): The baseline study conducted for this project included key informant interviews with those in policy, programme, or other similar levels of sector influence (e.g., Policy Makers, Government, Projects, Programmes working on social and health interventions in fishing communities). The purpose of the key informant interviews was to understand the opinion of respondents on local the diet and eating patterns of the community, women’s empowerment, facilities they believe exist at or are in place and serve fish workers. In addition, the questions sought to gain an understanding of what is already known at decision-making levels of the FAO SSF Guidelines and knowledge of fishing community’s capacity building needs and how learning and technological change occurs. This study was conducted for baseline monitoring and evaluation of the project “Empowering women in small-scale fisheries for sustainable food systems”.

The individual-level survey uses a semi-structured survey instrument that includes:
- Profile of their household’s characteristics
- Participation in fisheries activities (individual and household)
- Fisheries assets owned
- Roles in household decision-making around fish-related activities
- Experience with food insecurity
- Types of foods consumed
- Post-harvest processing procedures
- Participation in fisheries governance and organizations
- Gender attitudes about work and decision-making in fisheries and the household.

The focus group discussion survey instrument covered the following topics:
- Diet, foods eaten
- Activities in SSF
- Gender-based discrimination
- Empowerment and voice in decision-making
- Changes in gender relations over time
- Access to assets through facilities at landing and marketing sites
- Female-led organizations
- Capacity building received or areas felt to be important.

The key informant interview uses a semi-structured survey instrument that includes:
- Profile of the respondent's position and knowledge of gender issues and policy in fisheries
- Assessment of local diet and food access issues
- Roles in household decision-making around fish-related activities
- Access to productive assets in fishing
- Access to fisheries extensions services
- Post-harvest processing procedures
- Women’s fisheries organizations
- The respondent's personal gender attitudes about work and decision-making in fisheries and the household.