Empowering Women in Fisheries and Aquaculture: AWFISHNET's 2nd General Assembly

The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), organized and participated in the 2nd General Assembly of the African Women Fish Processors and Traders Network (AWFISHNET), held in Dakar, Senegal, from March 17-19, 2025. This significant event brought together key stakeholders, including the Honorable Minister of Fisheries, Maritime and Port Infrastructure, Dr. Fatou Diouf, representatives from 47 national chapters of AWFISHNET. The assembly provided a platform for discussing crucial issues and strategies aimed at empowering women in the fisheries and aquaculture sector across Africa.

Empowering Women and Youth

For over three decades, the African Union has worked tirelessly to empower women and youth in the fisheries and aquaculture sector through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Despite their crucial roles in post-harvest activities, women and youth often face gender-biased and youth-centred bottlenecks, limiting their access to natural resources and essential services. Addressing these gender dynamics is vital for enhancing productivity, food and nutrition security, poverty eradication, equitable regional trade, and sustainable fishery resource management.

AU-IBAR's Commitment

AU-IBAR is committed to advancing gender and youth aspirations by incorporating knowledge-based gender and youth considerations into policies, laws, and plans. This includes creating safe working conditions and ensuring effective and equitable participation of women and youth. The Policy Reform Framework and Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS) and the Africa Blue Economy Strategy (ABES) are key instruments in this endeavor.

AWFISHNET Achievements

AWFISHNET was established in 2017 in collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD and WorldFish. In February 2020, the Summit of African Heads of States and Governments endorsed it as an African Union-recognized network. The network has achieved significant milestones, including promoting advocacy for women's roles in food security, fostering gender equity, and empowering disadvantaged groups to participate in decision-making processes.

Continental Support

AU-IBAR has played a crucial role in supporting AWFISHNET, facilitating the development of its rules of procedure, conducting its first general meeting, and training members in aquaculture value chain, business, and enterprise development. Establishing 15 national chapters of AWFISHNET, supported by the EU-funded FishGov projects (phase 1 and 2), marks a significant step in rationalizing the continental network.

We thank the Government of Senegal for hosting this event and our financial partners, including the Swedish Government and the EU, for their support in advancing gender and youth empowerment. We remain committed to building inclusive and sustainable agri-food systems across Africa as we move forward.