GENDER DYNAMICS IN FISHERIES AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA: A REVIEW

ABSTRACT Women constitute a major but insufficiently recognized component of fisheries and resource management systems in Nigeria. The roles of women are examined across fisheries value chains with emphasis on fish harvesting, processing, preservation, marketing, aquaculture support activities, community resource management, and fisheries governance. The review also evaluates the socio economic, environmental, and institutional challenges affecting women’s participation and empowerment within the sector. Evidence reviewed indicates that women support greatly to household livelihoods, food security, fish value addition, rural employment, and local economic sustainability, particularly within artisanal and small scale fisheries systems where post harvest operations depend heavily on female labour. Women remain central to post harvest fisheries systems that support fish distribution networks across Nigeria. Their contributions additionally extend to indigenous ecological knowledge, informal conservation practices, and community based fisheries management. Despite their contributions, women continue to face major structural barriers within fisheries systems. These include discriminatory socio cultural norms, poor access to finance and productive assets, inadequate infrastructure, occupational health risks, environmental degradation, and weak representation within fisheries governance structures. Fisheries policies and development interventions in Nigeria remain insufficiently gender responsive, while women’s labour within informal fisheries systems is poorly captured in official statistics and development planning frameworks. It concludes that sustainable fisheries in Nigeria cannot be achieved without the active inclusion and empowerment of women. Strengthening women’s access to productive resources, institutional support, modern technologies, and governance participation is essential for improving food security, poverty reduction, rural livelihoods, and sustainable fisheries development.