For the first time in history, the global fishing community is casting its net toward recognition, equity and celebration of women who have long toiled behind the tides. From 1 – 5 November 2025, the world marks a historic milestone, the inaugural International Fisher Women’s Day, officially celebrated on 5 November, under the moving theme “Every Wave Carries Her Labour, Every Shore Her Claim”.
This five-day campaign, led by the World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP), shines a much-needed light on the vital yet often invisible contributions of fisherwomen across oceans, rivers and coasts. For centuries, women have played indispensable roles in small-scale fisheries, from net making, gleaning and marketing to post-harvest processing, ecosystem stewardship and community leadership. Yet their work has too often gone unrecognised, undervalued, or excluded from decision-making spaces.
Across the Caribbean, fisherwomen form the backbone of coastal economies. They are the vendors who rise before dawn, the processors who ensure food safety and quality, the boat owners who navigate changing tides and the environmental stewards who protect mangroves and coral ecosystems. Their resilience has sustained communities through storms, market shifts and environmental challenges.
International Fisher Women’s Day celebrates these women, not as silent supporters, but as powerful changemakers whose knowledge, labour and leadership are crucial to achieving sustainable and inclusive fisheries. From 1 – 4 November, the campaign features stories, artworks and voices from fisherwomen around the world, sharing their struggles, achievements and visions for equality. The momentum builds toward 5 November, when global celebrations unite under the banner of recognition, justice and solidarity.
Artists, storytellers and grassroots organisations join hands in this collective call to ensure that the waves that carry women’s labour also carry their rights, dignity and leadership forward.
In the Caribbean, this day resonates deeply. The region’s fisherwomen embody innovation, adaptability and strength. Whether drying fish under the sun, leading cooperatives or advocating for policy inclusion, they keep the cultural and economic heartbeat of the fisheries sector alive. Regional initiatives and projects such as REBYC-III CLME+ and EAF4SG, through their Gender Analysis and Action Plans have highlighted their central role in sustainable fisheries and marine livelihoods.
