Gender Roles and Livelihood Analysis of Women in Dry Fish Processing: A Study in Coastal Odisha
Gender Roles and Livelihood Analysis of Women in Dry Fish Processing: A Study in Coastal Odisha
Date
2014
Authors
Singh, Abha
Sahoo, P. K.
Srinath, Krishna
Kumar, Anil
Tanuja, S.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Society of Fisheries Technologists (India)Cochin
Abstract
This study was undertaken to document the socioeconomic
and livelihood profile, gender roles in fish
curing, trade and marketing and perceived needs of
women in dry fish processing in coastal Odisha.
Majority of the respondents were middle-aged and
had more than 10 years of experience in dry fish
production and handling, with high social participation
through self help groups (SHGs) and
moderate decision making power in family and
their trade. Majority of them (72.41%) were illiterates.
Annually, they spend about 225-250 days in dry
fish production process of low to medium valued
fishes. Dry fish production was the primary
occupation and secondary occupations include
wage earnings in shrimp exporting units, ice
production units, net mending, poultry, prawn
peeling, farming, etc. Non-availability of good
quality raw materials, lack of alternative drying
methods during rainy season, lack of proper
infrastructural facilities for drying, contamination
with sand, microbes, attack of insects, birds and
animals, non-availability of proper storage facilities,
inadequate institutional credit facilities, exploitation
by middlemen and inadequate transportation facilities
were the major constraints perceived by the
respondents. Most of them were not aware of the
improved practices including packaging and quality
assessment.
Description
Keywords
Dry fish processing, gender, livelihood, perceived needs, fisherwomen
Citation
Fishery Techn 51(4):267-273