Panelists
discuss the blue economy and carbon financing opportunities for women during a
side event at COP12.By, John Kabambala
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, for generations, women living in coastal and island communities have depended on the ocean not only for food, but also as a source of income, employment and opportunities to build better lives. However, despite their close relationship with marine ecosystems, many of them continue to face challenges in accessing capital, resources, technology and opportunities to participate in decisions concerning those resources. At the 12th Conference of the Parties to the Nairobi Convention (COP12), held at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam, leaders, experts and community representatives called for a change in the way women and coastal communities are viewed in the blue economy and blue carbon finance. Rather than continuing to regard them as beneficiaries of development projects, they should be recognised as entrepreneurs, leaders, innovators and key participants in decision-making on the sustainable use and conservation of marine resources.
From Beneficiaries to Decision-Makers
Discussions at the meeting highlighted the continuing gap between the significant contribution of women to coastal economies and their role in decisions concerning the resources on which they depend. Women are extensively engaged in activities such as seaweed farming, sea cucumber farming, fisheries-related businesses and other economic activities that depend on the ocean.
However, many of them still face difficulties in accessing capital, infrastructure, technology, markets and the information needed to grow their businesses and make them sustainable. Participants explained that closing this gap requires more than simply increasing the number of women participating in projects. It requires systemic changes aimed at strengthening women’s economic and leadership capacities, as well as their influence in decisions concerning the future of their communities and marine resources. Examples presented during the discussions, including experiences from organisations such as Touch Blue, demonstrated how investment directly targeting women-led businesses can enable them to increase their incomes while contributing to the sustainable use of marine resources. However, participants emphasised that these efforts cannot achieve significant success without close and sustained collaboration among governments, financial institutions, development organisations and coastal communities.
A Woman’s Journey from Being Underestimated to Leadership
For women in communities, these changes are not merely a policy discussion, but something that can be seen in their everyday lives. Ziyana Penab, Chairperson of the Jitihada Group, which is engaged in sea cucumber farming in Pemba, explained how training and collaboration through Women Fund projects helped her overcome social barriers that had prevented women from fully participating in leadership. “Previously, women were believed to be incapable of standing before people or taking leadership positions. However, through training and collaboration through Women Fund projects, I managed to build my confidence, take up leadership positions and increase my income through this farming activity,” she said.
Ziyana’s experience demonstrates what can happen when women are given opportunities not only to receive support, but also to gain knowledge, skills and the confidence to participate in economic decision-making. For coastal communities, such empowerment can have impacts that extend beyond a single household. When women gain opportunities to access resources and productive activities, they can strengthen family resilience, increase income, create employment and, at the same time, contribute to the conservation of marine ecosystems on which their lives depend.
The COP12 discussions also addressed how development projects involve women, where they are often viewed as beneficiaries rather than participants who take part in designing and implementing solutions. Redimna Ginwas from Women Fund Tanzania (WFT) said women should be empowered to become part of solving challenges rather than remaining on the sidelines. “This is a product that has emerged from something that Women Fund believes in and continues to nurture. Therefore, in empowering them, we give them the ability to understand what their role is and also to participate, so that they are not merely beneficiaries, but rather become part of designing as well as implementing these things.”
“The prevailing message in the discussion was that women’s participation should not be measured solely by the number of women attending meetings or appearing in project statistics.”
Instead, success should be measured by whether they have a genuine opportunity to participate in decisions concerning resources and the future of their communities, whether they own productive resources, whether their businesses can grow and whether they can access finance.
The Blue Economy as an Economic Opportunity
The success of seaweed and sea cucumber projects in areas such as Tanga and Pemba demonstrates that women can transform marine resources into sustainable economic opportunities when they receive the necessary skills, training, capital and support. Through these projects, women have been able to increase their incomes, improve the livelihoods of their families and produce various products, while becoming more involved in economic activities related to the ocean. However, participants cautioned that a few projects alone cannot bring about major transformation in the blue economy. Sustainable change requires financial systems that recognise the potential of women-led businesses and enable them to access capital on affordable terms.
Rather than viewing women-led organisations as competitors for scarce resources, stakeholders called for greater confidence in and direct investment in these organisations. In their view, such organisations often have a deep understanding of the challenges facing women in coastal communities and have the capacity to transform financial resources into solutions that respond to the actual needs of communities.
Ultimately, the COP12 discussions made it clear that the question is no longer whether women should participate in the blue economy, but rather how governments, financial institutions and development partners can build systems that will enable women to become leaders of that economy. For coastal communities, the answer to this question could determine not only the future livelihoods and incomes of women, but also how marine resources will be conserved and used for the benefit of the present generation and generations to come.
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