Nepalese Women Participation in Small Scale Aquaculture and Sustainability in Nepal: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Aquaculture has been an integral part of human civilization since 3500 BC. The practices and the techniques have evolved across the world to suit a) production scale, b) climatic conditions and c) type of fish being harvested. What started as a basis of nutrition for coastal civilization has now metamorphized into an excellent source of income as well as nutrition in poorer countries like Nepal. While there is a significant rise in aquaculture farming in Nepal, there still exists an enormous gender gap in ownership and participation in aquaculture. The current study is a systematic literature survey on the gender gap in aquaculture practices in Nepal to understand a) the status of women in aquaculture in Nepal, b) the reasons for their less participation and c) measures and solutions adopted by governmental or non-governmental organizations to close the gender gap. The study found although women labor contributed up to 88% in general agriculture and farming, their participation and engagement in marketing, sales and ownership is insignificant, primarily because of cultural reasons including the overall stigma around women in business that inhibits women to acquire assets, inheritance and business loan for an entrepreneurial activity including aquaculture. Women in rural regions of Nepal also lack the required time for participating in aquaculture activities because of their engagement in many household activities. There are commendable efforts from charity organizations in Nepal working closely with local women farmers that have been instrumental in improving their leadership and ownership in aquaculture but there are obstacles that could slow down such activities, including the need for supporting girls’ education.