Tackling the Challenges Confronting Women in the Elmina Fishing Community of Ghana: A Human Rights Framework

Although there are numerous studies on the role of women in coastal small-scale fisheries worldwide, little information about the challenges facing women, especially in the small-scale fisheries sector of Ghana exist, and as a result received strikingly little attention in debates over policy, legal and institutional reforms within the sector. This paper unearths the challenges facing women in the small-scale fisheries sector in their daily interactions with their environment. Interviews were conducted in Elmina, a small-scale coastal fishing community in the Central Region of Ghana, to assess the situation. The paper shows that most of the challenges confronting the women in the study area can be linked to their marginalization in decision-making processes on the issues affecting the fisheries sector. It discusses how an international human rights framework can be effective as a possible tool to respond to the challenges identified and to enhance the integration and inclusion of women in small-scale fisheries resource management in Ghana.