Confronting stereotypes in the fishing industry in post-apartheid South Africa: A case study of women on the West Coast in the Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Drawing on research conducted in fish processing and allied industries, the women in this study engage in shoreline activities collecting mussels, red bait, shellfish, seaweed; catching crayfish and fish or cleaning fish and mending nets. Women's role in fishing is a source of sustainable livelihood for the inhabitants of the fishing villages of Paternoster and Saldanha Bay on the West Coast, one hundred and forty kilometres from Cape Town. Like many coastal communities in South Africa, these villages have a long history of harvesting marine resources such as fish, shellfish, rock lobster or crayfish for their livelihood. The paper focuses on how women confront gender stereotyping in fishing and how social policies like affirmative action and employment equity impact on women in a democratising South Africa. The paper also highlights ways that women in fish processing innovate and develop strategies to cope with gender-related workplace problems in the industry.