Low-cost technology boosts women’s livelihoods amidst pandemic in Bangladesh

Through disruption to aquatic food value chains, the COVID-19 pandemic has jeopardized the livelihoods of small-scale fish farmers in Bangladesh. Many of the nation’s rural inland and coastal communities depend on the aquatic food systems for income-generation and good nutrition.However, travel restrictions and limited markets have slowed aquatic food production andthreatened actors along fish value chains, posing particular challenges for fisherwomen faced withgender-related employment barriers. 

Bangladesh is one of the world’s leading inland aquatic food producers, and both women and men actively participate in the aquaculture sector. Nonetheless, rural women often face cultural, religious and physical barriers to performing hands-on work as fish harvesters. Obstacles to women’s work make families more susceptible to financial losses, if the male provider of the household becomes unemployed or unable to work.… Read the rest