The Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section (GAFS) was honored with the opportunity to contribute to the HLPE-FSN Consultation on the Scope of the Report: Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture for Food Security and Nutrition. GAFS submission, included in the official proceedings (pages 320–367), brought forward a critical perspective: gender equity must be central to sustainable aquatic food systems.

This opportunity marked an important milestone for GAFS, as it allowed the network to bring gender issues directly into a high-level global consultation. For decades, women’s roles in fisheries and aquaculture have been undervalued or overlooked in policy frameworks, despite their essential contributions to food security, nutrition, and community resilience. GAFS submission sought to correct this imbalance by presenting evidence, case studies, and recommendations that highlighted the indispensable role of women across the sector.

The submission emphasized that sustainability cannot be achieved without inclusivity. Women are involved in every stage of the fisheries and aquaculture value chain - harvesting, processing, marketing, and ensuring household nutrition. Yet their work is often unpaid, underpaid, or invisible in official statistics. GAFS argued that the HLPE-FSN report must recognize these realities and integrate gender equity as a cornerstone of sustainable food systems.

Key priorities outlined in GAFS submission included:

• Recognition of women’s contributions: Making visible the unpaid and underpaid work of women in fisheries and aquaculture.
• Equitable access to resources and decision-making spaces: Ensuring women are not excluded from training, technology, or governance.
• Gender-disaggregated data collection: Calling for systematic data to measure and acknowledge women’s roles.: Calling for systematic data to measure and acknowledge women’s roles.
• Safeguards against discrimination and exploitation: Strengthening protections for women in the sector.

Beyond technical recommendations, GAFS submission carried the voices of communities worldwide. It shared stories of women balancing fishing livelihoods with caregiving responsibilities, young researchers advancing inclusive methodologies, and leaders advocating for fairer governance of aquatic resources. These narratives reinforced the message that sustainability is not only about ecological balance and productivity, but also about people and justice.

The opportunity to contribute to the HLPE-FSN consultation also demonstrated the growing recognition of gender research in global food system dialogues. By engaging in this process, GAFS ensured that gender perspectives were woven into the discourse on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Their input strengthened the consultation by broadening its scope to include social justice, equity, and human rights alongside ecological and economic considerations.

Ultimately, GAFS submission affirmed that gender equity is not an optional consideration, but a fundamental requirement for achieving food security and nutrition worldwide. Sustainable aquatic food systems must be inclusive, fair, and representative of all those who contribute to them. Through this engagement, GAFS advanced its mission of making women’s roles visible, valued, and central to the future of fisheries and aquaculture.

The report can be accessed online through the link: https://www.fao.org/media/docs/devhlpelibraries/report-22/hlpe22_proceeding.pdf?sfvrsn=b7ecce5f_4