Heather Craig: Shifting Roles of Lake Victoria's Women Fisherfolk

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The following abstract was adapted from Heather Craig's full-length paper, which was submitted to The Forum on Education Abroad.

Global free trade and industrialization often strike us as benign phenomena, natural and essential to the development of the impoverished Third World. Heather Craig’s research in Kenya shows, however, that the opposite effect can also be true. Heather studied how commercialization of the fishing industry of Lake Victoria has undermined the socioeconomic interests of local, small-scale “fisherfolk,” of whom women comprise the majority.

Heather became interested in this topic while studying abroad in Kenya. She says, “studying development in a classroom setting provided me with a theoretical grounding but left me struggling to grasp the reality of the situation facing much of the world’s population.”

After enrolling with the School for International Training (SIT), Heather spent her first months in Kenya learning basic Kiswahili, attending development and health seminars, learning field research techniques, and visiting various NGOs. These structured opportunities, along with living with Kenyans and traveling throughout the country, gave rise to her appreciation for “the complex and multifaceted nature of Kenya’s social and political climate.” They also helped her to acclimate to Kenyan social mores, which she says was “imperative” for later approaching local fisherfolk in a culturally sensitive manner.

Traditionally, hundreds of species of fish thrived in Lake Victoria. Men would harvest the fish and women would buy their catch, acting as crucial traders in nearby markets. In the 1980s, though, commercial fisheries spurred the proliferation of Nile Perch—a carnivorous, economically viable fish that has proceeded to dominate the ecology of the lake as well as the economic scene. Half of all fish exports and millions of local livelihoods are now tied to harvesting, processing, and shipping Nile Perch.

The advent of commercial fisheries as direct customers of the fisherman has combined with the decline in supply and diversity of Lake Victoria fish to severely marginalize the economic role of female fisherfolk. “While women previously had open access to the buying and selling of various fish species, the proliferation of Nile Perch severely limited the availability and types of species women could deal in,” writes Heather. She based her research findings on field interviews and observations of a cross-section of fisherfolk and industry representatives, as well as academic literature. “The agents select the largest and highest quality fish from the fishermen’s catches, and the women are left to buy the smaller, reject fish.”

Laws against peddling undersized fish have further debilitated women traders. In attempt to secure favorable catches, many women have resorted to having sex with certain patron fishermen in exchange for fish. “I believe that the incredibly high rate of HIV/AIDS in Kisumu district is directly linked to the sexual exploitation occurring within beach communities,” writes Heather, noting healthcare ignorance and socioeconomic disempowerment as primary factors.

In the reality of the Kenyan fisherfolk, Heather concludes, “HIV/AIDS, globalization, sexual exploitation, commercialization, trade liberalization, and myriad other issues are all mutually constitutive elements that determine the state of people’s lives. Addressing the intersections between these issues is the first step in promoting sustainable development.”