Climate change adaptation: Raising fisherwomen’s voices to policy making

This paper explores local ecological knowledge (LEK) and perceptions of change within Brazilian small-scale fisheries (SSF). Brazil is a climate change hotspot and the income and subsistence of at least one million small scale fisherwomen is vulnerable to a rapidly changing environment. The Vozes do Mar project interviewed Brazilian fisherwomen, and through reflexive thematic analysis revealed their perceptions of change and policy considerations. Key findings highlight the lack of recognition of women in SSF, both under-represented and under-valued, exacerbated by societal biases, policy neglect and environmental challenges. Although fisherwomen regularly recalled environmental changes, including changes in tide and increased severity of rainfall, they did not express, or realise, the same gender bias of climate change impacts reported by the literature. Fisherwomen appeared to lack recognition of their economic contributions through provision of food security. With fisherwomen’s LEK, we identified several policy implications, including: the necessity to bridge the gap between grassroots awareness and top-down strategies, the importance of community-centred interventions, and the need for cross-sectoral cooperation to environmental challenges. This research highlights the inclusion of women's ecological knowledge in policy-making and the reassessment of gender roles in SSF as means for a greater cross-sectoral cooperation in adaptive coastal management. Ultimately, by bringing fisherwomen’s voices and experiences to the fore, the research contributes to a more inclusive and sustainable Blue Economy and ocean governance.