Fisheries sector provides employment to over 12 million people
and plays a paramount role in Indian economy. Women
constitute nearly half of the population and one third of the
labour force. Though women’s role in Indian marine fisheries
sector with a coast line of 8129 km is very prominent, there is
generally a gender bias in respect of their works and the
inequalities between men and women are observed in the social, cultural and
economic lives. The development and empowerment of weaker sections and
gender mainstreaming in the Indian fisheries sector in a broader visualization will
be materialized to a substantial extent with poverty eradication programmers
through the transparent media namely Self Help Groups (SHGs). However an indepth
analysis of the impact of SHGs in bringing out gender mainstreaming was
lacking in the present scenario of Indian marine fisheries sector. Integrating
gender perspective in SHG ventures in marine fisheries sector is inevitable because
the gender mainstreaming approach advances gender equity and equality in the
fisheries fabric of the society
