Investigating the Status of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Dried Fish and Maldive Fish Processing: A Case Study of Dondra and Kottegoda Fisheries Divisions in Matara Coastal Region, Sri Lanka

Women in coastal communities play a crucial role in strengthening the household income. Dried fish processing has become a reliable source of income, helping to minimize the uncertainty of fishing earnings and serves as a way of life for women. This study analyses how fish processing empowers women in coastal areas and its role in gender equality. This was achieved through a structured questionnaire- based survey conducted among the randomly selected 60 female fish processors in the Dondra and Kottegoda fisheries divisions located on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, followed by focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Results show that profit margins of dried fish and Maldive fish are 38.2% and 23.8% per kg, respectively. The monthly average production scale is less than 100 kg for 11 dried fish and 21 Maldive fish processors. On average, women save 35% and 30% of their profit for emergency funds and for additional expenses, respectively, such as children’s education. Women are economically and socially empowered. They get equal or greater opportunities in decision making, accessing training on fish processing and support services, and building market linkages. The lack of value addition and the use of low- quality inputs are the main drawbacks of fish processing in the study area.