ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The Indonesian government through the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries together with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) are collaborating to support the role of women and people with disabilities to take part in implementing the blue economy program.
This involvement aims to realize the implementation of a blue economy program that is inclusive for all groups, including women and people with disabilities.
“Gender mainstreaming is one of the keys to the successful implementation of inclusive blue economy policies,” said the Indonesian Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono when opening the National Meeting on Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion in Jakarta, Tuesday, March 19 2024.
The forum with the theme “Inspiring Inclusion” brought together government officials, fisheries stakeholders and development partners to discuss strategies for empowering women and marginalized groups in the marine and fisheries sector.
Minister Trenggono explained that the blue economy program of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries includes expanding conservation areas, quota-based measurable fishing policies, developing sustainable coastal and land-based mariculture, monitoring and controlling coastal areas and small islands, as well as cleaning up plastic waste in sea through participatory movements of fishermen.
Based on data from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the number of women who work as fisheries business actors, including fishermen, inter-port marketers, fish marketers, fish cultivators, fish processors and salt farmers, is 148,221 out of a total of 1,449 recorded fisheries business actors. 681 people.
Realizing the need to increase the role of women and people with disabilities in the maritime and fisheries sector, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has taken a number of steps, from establishing policies, work programs, to increasing the budget for gender mainstreaming activities.
Policy stipulations include issuing Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Regulation Number 51 of 2016, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Regulation Number 43 of 2023, and Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Decree Number 84 of 2020. Then involving women and people with disabilities in the development program for modern fishing villages and aquaculture villages , providing free educational facilities to children of key fisheries actors such as fishermen, cultivators and salt farmers, processors and marketers.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries also provides training in fishing, fish cultivation and fish processing for disabled groups and women’s groups. Then facilitate easy access to capital, as well as assistance with facilities for cultivation, fishing and processing of fishery products.
“The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has allocated a budget for gender mainstreaming which continues to increase every year from IDR 288 billion in 2021 to IDR 662 billion in 2024,” explained Minister Trenggono.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director of USAID Indonesia, Erin Nicholson, said that women’s empowerment is USAID’s core development goal, which is the basis for realizing the fulfillment of human rights, and the key to fulfilling USAID’s development results.
“When women do better, countries do better, communities do better, and families do better,” said Erin Nicholson.
He further said that women’s economic participation is a major part of achieving greater security and stability throughout the world.
USAID Indonesia, through USAID Bersama Manage Fisheries (Ber-ikan), empowers women to become agents of economic improvement and supporters of sustainable fisheries to encourage joint efforts towards a more sustainable and inclusive future development in support of the blue economy.
USAID Ber-ikan integrates the GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion) approach into fisheries policy, facilitating face-to-face assistance with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to encourage the formation of agents of change for gender equality at the grassroots level, as well as helping women and marginalized groups to take advantage of the opportunity to voice their perspectives on fisheries co-management committees.
“Let’s make this meeting a call to action, a catalyst for change, and a turning point towards an inclusive and sustainable future for fisheries and Indonesia,” concluded Nicholson. (ATN)
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