On the edge of beautiful, blue ocean waters in coastal Kenya’s Kilifi County, boats float on the surface of fish landing sites. The fish-eating birds in flight above the boats are a breathtaking sight—and they immediately elicit a sense of tranquility.

Over the past few months, I have traveled to various fish landing sites in Lake Victoria and on Kenya’s coast to continue my research on socioeconomic factors leading to the exclusion of women in the fisheries sector.

On one early morning in November, the beehive of activities at different landing sites established fishing’s central role in the growth of the Kenyan economy. Amina, a tall young Swahili woman in a long flowing dress commonly referred to as “Dera,” is eagerly waiting to buy fish today.

Mid-November is usually the peak fishing season here. However, the last few years have seen fish catches drop, partially due to illegal and unregulated fishing, a lack of proper fishing gear, and climate change. This situation has left women like Amina—as well as fishing communities that depend on fish and fishing activities as their source of food and nutrition, employment, and livelihood—vulnerable to increasing social and economic hardships. Amina hopes for this situation to change through more education, more involvement from women, and outreach in the Kenyan fisheries sector.

Another key threat to this way of life? The limitations imposed by gender roles—and the gender-based violence (GBV) faced by women and girls in small-scale Kenyan fisheries. My work in Kenya’s fish landing sites offers a clear view of the cultural norms that establish the atmosphere in which GBV has become a factor for women. It also sheds light on the personal security threats women and girls face in the fishing sector.

I have come to these places of beauty and tranquility to seek answers about the problems beneath the surface. What kinds of factors put women and girls at risk of GBV on these fish landing sites? How might such knowledge help to increase human security for these women and girls?

Women’s Key Role in Fisheries

Gender-based violence is a problem in any and every circumstance. But it is a particular challenge here because women are an essential factor in the health and success of fisheries in Kenya and around the world.

Women make up about 46 percent of the workforce in small-scale fisheries’ post-harvest labor globally. Kenya is no exception. Women play a key role in the processing, trading, and marketing of fish on the landing sites and in the marketplaces of this country.

Yet despite being essential actors in the fishing sector, women often face GBV on the landing sites here. This is also part of a larger global trend, with about 30 percent of women and girls experiencing different forms of violence in the places where they live.

The safety and security of women and girls on the landing sites is vital, especially as they go about their day-to-day fishing activities. But the roots of GBV in Kenya can be located in the fabric of gender relations. Both gender roles and gender-based violence reinforce cultural norms that dictate what women, men, girls, and boys can and can’t do within the Kenyan fisheries sector. Preexisting gender and cultural norms, power relations between women and the individuals in power, and high levels of inequality (especially when it comes to education, food, and jobs) are some of the factors that leave women and girls vulnerable to GBV on the landing sites.

Even worse is that much of this violence is hidden, with high levels of unreported GBV on the fish landing sites.

Forms of Gender-based Violence

The various forms of gender-based violence that women and girls face here in Kenyan fisheries include verbal, physical, sexual, economic, and cultural violence. For example, both women and girls experience verbal attacks and harassment by fishermen, especially while they are trying to acquire fish themselves.

There is also a high level of personal insecurity when accessing and using the landing sites. Due to a lack of sanitation, women fishmongers and traders are forced to relieve themselves in nearby bushes. A lack of proper lighting at the landing sites leaves women and girls vulnerable to physical and sexual attacks, and it has led to an increase in the number of reported and unreported rape cases.

In my discussions with six women fish processors and traders who have been in the business for over 20 years, I was shocked to learn of the many insecurities facing women and young girls on the landing sites. Indeed, these women cited the lack of sanitary towels for girls as a reason that young girls do not attend school, and, thus, must find work at Kenya’s landing sites.

One woman expressed her concerns for the group’s young daughters, who are frequently victims of GBV committed by the fishermen. She stated that some fishermen on the landing site expect to receive sexual favors from women and girls in return for fish. It is a situation that has

led to early marriages and unplanned pregnancies for young girls in many fishing communities.

Shaping a Response to Powerful Norms

What happens to women and girls on Kenya’s fish landing sites is intertwined with the fabric of sociocultural norms. Thus, culture plays a significant role in instilling values and ideas of what is and isn’t important.

In many fishing communities in Kenya, certain cultural and gender inequalities that disadvantage women and girls are a persistent part of that culture. These practices include traditional views of a woman’s place and role in fisheries, generational fishing practices where children engage in fishing activities as part of social cultural identity, as well as cultural-patriarchal privileges that see men as the head of the household and controller of earnings made by women.

These are all forms of cultural violence. Yet the paths to change are still narrow. The participation of women in decision-making processes at the fish landing sites is still very limited. Men still dominate the various aspects of the fish landing sites. For instance, the Beach Management Units (BMU)—the fisheries stakeholder user groups tasked with the co-management and implementation of the Fisheries Management and Development Act of 2016—are led by men.

At many fish landing sites in Kenya, there are no structures or specific places where women and girls can even go to seek help on GBV issues. Within BMU organizations, there is no designated person or place that offers services to victims of GBV; however, there are certain times that the cases are unique and require police involvement, such as with rape cases.

In addition, there are no community structures for GBV survivors and therefore no mental health, safety, health, or legal services available for them. Most victims keep to themselves, while others share with close friends but never with the police or authorities in the area due to the fear of stigmatization.

Using Hope and Education to Create Change

At an individual level, women fish processors and traders are working together to resist and address various forms of GBV on the landing sites. Some women, like Amina, are taking on the role of whistleblowers for the young women and girls who have suffered from GBV. They are also serving as educators for those who want to start their business on the landing sites, teaching and warning them about the insecurities that exist in fisheries and how to avoid them.

Yet there is a need to engage and educate fishing communities on gender norms more broadly to help address the different forms of violence against women and girls. It is through such dialogues that more people, including women and girls, can become aware of GBV issues. Continued discussion through meetings and trainings also allows them to share their experiences with others.

Through targeted funding and projects such as the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Socio-Economic Project (KEMFSED) (which is funded by the World Bank), women and girls experiencing GBV on landing sites in coastal Kenya can greatly benefit from the establishment of structures, services, and awareness-creation platforms that provide GBV-targeted trainings, campaigns, and promotional materials. In addition, the construction of counseling centers near landing sites—where victims and survivors can seek help and support—would also benefit these women in Kenya’s fisheries.

Educating women about the powerful norms that govern fisheries and their role in creating the atmosphere in which GBV flourishes and providing structures to make positive change are both essential. If this happens, women like Amina are hopeful that one day they can see young women participating in the important economic work on Kenya’s fish landing sites without fear of gender-based violence.