1. Enhancing Food Production, Gender Equity
and Nutritional Security in a Changing World
International Food Security Dialogue 2014
Revealing and enhancing
the position of women in
Sri Lankan aquaculture
development
Chamila Jayasinghe1 and Tim Dejager2
1Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
2Co3 Consulting, British Columbia, Canada

2. Outline
Background – Fish and Food
Security in Sri Lanka, gender
and fisheries
Research questions - Gender
in aquaculture
Methodology – Revealing
gender position; adapting
interventions.
Results and Outcomes –
Building on strengths and
contributions of women. Figure 1. Small fish caught and dried by the
women in Mahiloor, Eastern Province, Sri
Lanka

3. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Bangladesh
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
India
Percentage of Dietary Animal Protein
from Fish
Fish and Food Security in Sri Lanka
Government of Sri Lanka aims to
double fish consumption per
capita, from 11.4 kg per year in
2009 to 22 kg in 2016. It aims to
double production of fish by
2016.
417,200
56,950
12,000
Sri Lanka Fish Production 2012 (MT)
Marine capture
Inland fish
Aquaculture
Fisheries employ
650,000 people

4. • Fisheries sector in Sri Lanka is
dominated by men.
• Women’s involvement is high, but
invisible.
• Women’s role and contribution is
not recognized in policy and
programs.
• Women’s interests not well
represented in governance - not
involved in decision making and
leadership roles
• Women’s access to resources and
assets is limited.
• Information on women’s role and
contribution is lacking.
Gender and Fisheries

5. Research Questions
• How can these
targets, specifically with
respect to aquaculture, be
reached in a gender equitable
and inclusive manner?
• Will the conditions, roles, and
positions of women in the
fisheries sector be replicated in
aquaculture development or
follow a different more
equitable pathway?

6. Approach to
Gender in the
Project
• Understand the contribution of women in a
livelihood context – not just gender division of
labour in value chains
• Oyster culture case study: villages where fisheries
was primary income and few alternatives.
Gangewadiya and Kandakuliya.
Locations of the study

7. Methods
Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) – 3 sectors
(shrimp farming, inland aquaculture, oyster culture)
– Tools: Seasonal calendars, venn
diagrams, wagon wheel diagrams, activity
clocks.
– Areas: Income status &
vulnerabilities, activities & decision
making, food security, knowledge &
connectivity.
– Gangewadiya- 8 men & 12
women, Kandakuliya- 6 men & 12 women.
Questionnaire survey
– Women in both communities – K=20 + G=16
Adapt pilot culture trials and site and process
monitoring

9. Results and Discussion
Income vulnerability is high – unstable incomes through year – 6
month fishing season – debt is common. Annual household
incomes are low. Food security vulnerabilities.
Women’s contribution to livelihood is high – contribute to
fisheries income, other income, household maintenance and
reproductive responsibilities, harvest and use local resources.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Kandakuliya
Gangewadiya
Months
Income
Income level (US$/
Year)
Respondent (%)
Gangewadiya Kandakuliya
US$ 400-800 25 26
< US$ 400 44 74
Fishing 100% 56 15
Fishing 50-99% 25 45
Fishing 1-49% 19 20
Women -main
income earner
6 20

10. Perceptions of food security using
percentage of food purchased in
markets (cash transaction)
Perceptions of food security using proportion
of income spent on food relative to other
categories of household expenditure.

11. How women perceive the opportunity
• Build on women’s existing contributions they already see this
as something they CAN do. Financial decision-making.
Familiarity with resource and environment. Involve in
monitoring. Link them directly to end markets – value chain
learning.
Item Both
villages
Gange-
wadiya
Kanda-
kuliya
Feel oyster farming improve household income 92 100 85
Women can do oyster farming by own 86 94 80
Have enough time to dedicate for oyster farming 89 100 80
If I culture oyster I have to spend less time on other activities 88 100 85
Oyster farming help to be leaders 97 94 100
Financial decision on oyster farming : by own
Jointly
Husband/ male head
64
28
8
56
31
13
70
25
5

12. Oyster Culture Development with Mainstreaming
Gender
Develop
Markets
Assess local
sites
Analyze
social
condition
(gender)
Pilot trials –
training
participation
Build
Institutions
and
Governance Monitoring
and
Evaluation

13. Oyster culture system technology

14. Conclusions
• Women have made a declining
resource activity continue to be
feasible by providing food and
cash income from subsistence /
livelihood activities
• Income instability and food
insecurity can be addressed
through oyster aquaculture
• Gender position is not highly
constrained (open?) in this form
of aquaculture – transitioning
from catching fish to farming
fish. Women can see themselves
taking it on.
20,000 oysters sold– can provide
an income of USD 1,600
Sharing this with 4 households can
double household income.

15. Oyster culture value chain developing in Sri Lanka
Link: http://youtu.be/7iuS7ERjg78

16. Acknowledgements
Project undertaken with the financial support of the International Development
Research Centre (IDRC), www.idrc.ca, and the Government of Canada, provided
through Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
(DFATD), www.international.gc.ca
International Food Security Dialogue hosted by the University of Alberta
Thanks to the community members of Kanadakuliya and Gangewadiya, particularly
Mrs Shamila Perera of Kandakuliya and Mr. Lindamulage Ajith Kumara of
Gangewadiya, Hasantha Gunaweera, Shan Memanage, Dr. Palitha Kithsiri and the
researchers and field staff of the National Aquatic Resources Research and
Development Agency (NARA), Prof. WMTB Wanninayake, Dr. Sam Daniel, Bea
Vanderlinden, Sara Ahmed, and project teams of Wayamba University of Sri Lanka,
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries North Western Province, and the British
Columbia Aquatic Food Resources Society.