Coastal women demand power in Tanzania’s blue economy

This question took centre stage at a recent symposium on women and the blue economy, organised by Mission Inclusion in collaboration with Women Fund Tanzania Trust (WFT) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with support from Global Affairs Canada. The event was part of the Regenerative Seascapes for People, Climate and Nature (ReSea) project. In her keynote, ReSea Chief of Party, Perpetua Angima, highlighted women’s daily reality: “Early in the morning, women are already in the sea, planting and harvesting seaweed, dragging it to shore, drying it, and storing it while waiting for buyers,” she said. It is quiet, repetitive work but it sustains households and communities. Beyond seaweed, women are also involved in crab fattening, sea cucumber farming, sardine processing, and marine ecosystem restoration. “They are on the frontlines of the blue economy,” Angima said. “But when decisions about these sectors are made, where are they?” “The gap is not in ...