A global team of researchers has developed a comprehensive framework to close gender data gaps in small-scale fisheries, addressing the persistent undercounting of women’s contributions to the sector.

The perspective paper, published in September 2025 in the journal Ambio, brings together insights from 36 contributors across six continents — including Michigan State University Profs. Mar Mancha-Cisneros and Mark Axelrod — to propose concrete solutions that address these gaps.

This Edition includes an exciting collection of new stories and updates on various GAFS undertakings from around the globe. These are the highlights from this Edition: We’ve included several stories on GAFS contributions to global consultations and recent major events, highlighting how we continue to advocate for gender equality and create spaces to hear from fisherwomen first-hand about what they want.

Inspired by the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture in 2022, the Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section presents a global video tribute to women fishing.

The 13th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (13AFAF) was a watershed for how gender was included in Asian Fisheries Society’s triennial Forums. Gender topics were in the Plenary, as a topic session and in the Forum’s graphic elements. The gender theme has come a long way in Asian Fisheries Society and can still go much further. Three messages to take home: why and how research is practices is critical to gender; need to focus more on women’s agency rather than their victimhood and marginality; and gender relations are dynamic under changes in resources and even new technologies.

Getting to the Core Principles of Gender and Fisheries: The Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section of the Asian Fisheries Society (GAFS), celebrates International Women’s Day 2022 by releasing its Core Principles statement. The GAFS Core Principles are based on the formal Objectives in our By Laws, and our own and others’ experiences working in gender equality. The Principles have been drafted, discussed and put through open consultation among GAFS members and other interested experts.

Read the latest E-Newsletter of the Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section (GAFS) of the Asian Fisheries Society, our second COVID-19 era edition. The E-Newsletter Editor, Surendran Rajaratnam pointed out, “COVID-19 continues to disrupt our lives and livelihoods, we have learned to endure and continue to live with the disease and the uncertainties it brings. Although the pandemic has exposed political, health, economic and social vulnerabilities of many countries, the show of resilience and global cooperation to weather the virus is applaudable.”