India’s vast coastline provides food, stability, and income-producing opportunities for many of India’s
economically disadvantaged sections of the population. Fisheries in India account for 2.5 per cent of the gross domestic
product and generate powerful income and employment opportunities for many of the country’s rural poor. Women, who
constitute approximately half of India’s population, play a vital role in the operation of the fisheries and their continuing
growth as a component of the agriculture sector of the economy. The contributions of the fisherwomen penetrate every
aspect of postharvest handling, preservation, processing, and marketing of seafood products, and provide an integral
link between producers and consumers. The study was conducted on a sample of 50 fisherwomen drawn from the 2
coastal districts of Tamilnadu namely, Kancheepuram and Chennai. The findings revealed that, most of the fisherwomen
had a high level of livelihood index (Score of < 50), and also had a high level of aspiration (Score <13). The step wise
regression analysis revealed that the variables influencing the livelihood index of fisherwomen, in order of importance,
were annual level of savings and annual level of debt. The annual level of expenditure and annual level of savings had
a positive and significant influence on the level of aspiration of fisherwomen
