Why Are Women and Youth at the Coast Every Day, Yet Absent from Decision-Making Tables?

The Silent Workforce That Carries of blue Economy.

“In the Western Indian Ocean region, the daily lives of thousands of women and young people begin long before the sun rises over the horizon. On the shores of Tanga and the islands of Zanzibar, the rhythmic sound of waves has become a familiar morning companion for those who struggle daily against economic hardships. Here, women and youth who work in marine activities can be found tending seaweed farms, raising crabs, and protecting marine resources that often go unnoticed but are precisely what feed families and drive the economies of coastal communities. 

Their hands immerse seaweed seedlings in waist-deep water, carefully harvesting mature crops and dragging them ashore. The hot midday sun dries the seaweed completely before they carry it home for storage, patiently awaiting the buyer's arrival. These silent, tireless efforts form the backbone of countless households across Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Comoros, and Madagascar. Meanwhile, other women engage in crab farming within special enclosures placed in coastal waters. Some tend to sea cucumbers, a rare marine resource that fetches high prices in international markets. Although these activities happen quietly, away from public attention, they stand as crucial pillars supporting the economies of many coastal families across five African nations.”

But before going further, ask yourself one important question: when decisions about these blue economy sectors are being made, where are these women and young people? Do they sit at decision-making tables? Do they influence policies that affect their own lives? Or do they wait outside meeting rooms as mere spectators, like uninvited guests at a ceremony they did not organize? The painful truth is that they are everywhere in economic activities, yet completely invisible in leadership positions. This is the major gap that the ReSea Project identified through its gender and blue economy policy assessment. That assessment revealed clearly that the gap is not in women's participation in income-generating activities. The gap lies in decision-making power. Women and youth are present in the field but absent from leadership. This is where the ReSea Project steps in as a remedy for a deeply rooted systemic problem.

A Revolutionary Three-Pillar Framework for Systemic Change

The ReSea Project, valued at over 31 million Canadian dollars, is implemented by Mission Inclusion in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with funding from the Government of Canada. Its main objective is to strengthen the resilience of coastal communities in five countries of the Western Indian Ocean region. ReSea does not focus on environmental conservation alone. Instead, it connects marine ecosystem restoration with sustainable economic development, specifically targeting women and youth. The project operates within the broader Great Blue Wall initiative, which aims to create a protected ocean corridor while providing economic opportunities for local communities. The project employs an innovative framework built on three interconnected pillars: Blue Planet, Blue Nature, and Blue People. The Blue Planet pillar supports community-led marine conservation in protected areas, meaning that women and youth become guardians of mangroves and coral reefs.

The Blue Nature pillar advances gender-responsive nature-based solutions to combat climate change. The Blue People pillar strengthens women's economic leadership through small-scale blue economy enterprises. However, what cuts across all pillars is Blue Partnership, which connects traditional community knowledge with scientific research. All solutions implemented are locally appropriate and owned by the communities themselves. This framework ensures that conservation and economic development go hand in hand, rather than competing against each other. By placing women and youth at the center, ReSea challenges the traditional top-down approach that has excluded local voices for generations. The project recognizes that lasting change requires those who understand the ocean best to lead its protection. The project faces escalating threats including unplanned urban growth, excessive resource exploitation, flooding, and rising sea levels caused by climate change. Without the participation of women and youth in leadership, all efforts to combat climate change could be wasted.

Ms. Perpertual Angima Hands Over Important Documents to Dr. Salim Hamza,

From Participation to Influence the Three Demands for Change

Let us now turn to the speech delivered by the Project Manager, Ms. Perpertual Angima, The first crucial point she made was this: "We need to shift the debate from statistics to concrete implementation actions." The gender and blue economy policy assessment conducted by ReSea provides powerful evidence. This evidence must not remain in reports gathering dust on office shelves. It must guide actions to change national and regional policies, improve resource allocation systems, and ensure that women have genuine space to influence the direction of the blue economy. The fact remains that many women already possess sufficient creativity and experience. What they need are tools, networks, capital, and spaces to influence decisions. If policies do not change, women will continue to work but will never decide anything within the blue economy value chain. The second point that Ms. Perpertual Angima emphasized is that women in coastal areas need to transform participation into influence.

"Many times, we have said women are included," she stated. "But how are they included? By just sitting in meetings and listening without contributing? Or do they influence decisions? There is a big difference between being present and having power." Research shows that when women are given leadership positions, resource management improves, community accountability increases, and profit distribution becomes more equitable. Therefore, the goal is not to increase the number of women and youth at the table. The goal is to ensure that their voices determine the direction of the conversation. ReSea works with women's groups to provide them with advocacy skills and leadership training. The third and final point is that no single group can change this situation alone. We need collaboration among women's rights advocates, climate change stakeholders, policy makers, and development partners across the entire Western Indian Ocean region. The project aims to directly reach 71,087 people, but its ripple effects could benefit up to 2 million residents.

Evidence into Action, The Call for Policy Transformation.

The voices of coastal women reached the Vice President's Office, which coordinates Union affairs, Environment, and Blue Economy in Tanzania. Ms. Evansia Shirima, speaking on behalf of that office, stated: "A woman is a crucial pillar of community development, especially in coastal and great lakes areas. Therefore, investment in women and girls is a fundamental pillar in achieving a society with equality, prosperity, and sustainable development toward the National Development Vision 2050." She actively engaged with the international slogan "Give to Gain," interpreting it to mean that gender equality is not charity but a productive investment for national development. This represented a crucial step toward systemic transformation from the highest level. These transformations began appearing in critical areas like water resource management. In Pangani district, women secured seven out of twelve leadership positions in marine resource management groups, including chairperson and secretary positions. This was not just an increase in numbers but a shift in actual power.

Return now to the opening image of women and youth who farm and harvest seaweed. Every day, they carry the coastal economy on their backs. Now imagine if all that experience were also present in decision-making, in policies, in leadership. That is when we will truly have an inclusive blue economy. Not because it is morally right, but because it is the only way to achieve sustainable economic and environmental outcomes. The call from Ms. Perpertual Angima is clear: "Let us use the evidence from this policy assessment to transform it into policy improvement actions. Let us work together to change the entire leadership system. Empowering women is not an act of charity or pity. It is a catalyst for shared development, because when women rise, every one of us rises." The ReSea Project demonstrates that change is possible, but it requires political courage. The journey is still long, but when the ocean heals and its communities grow stronger, we all benefit.