Navigating Gender Challenges in Advancing the Blue Economy: Insights from Zanzibar

Abstract

Zanzibar, an archipelago in East Africa, holds significant potential for leveraging the blue economy for economic growth. However, entrenched gender disparities pose obstacles to achieving inclusive development. This paper explores community awareness of the blue economy project, to assess community perception of the blue economy concept and explore gendered challenges in advancing the blue economy. Through qualitative methods including stakeholder workshops involving 38 participants from Unguja and Pemba, data was collected. It is concluded that the community was informed about Zanzibar's efforts to implement a blue economy through mass media coverage and speeches by leaders. It is recommended that Zanzibar's Ministry of Education and Vocational Training use diversified communication channels like interactive workshops and educational campaigns to engage directly with community members in the blue economy. It is concluded that the community's perception of the blue economy has been influenced by the association of unrelated major components of the concepts in the blue economy. Zanzibar's Ministry of Education and Vocational Training works to clarify the relevance of fishing activities to environmental protection and mining, highlighting its potential benefits for local livelihoods and economic development. The study concludes that gender challenges persist in the blue economy, including traditional norms and limited opportunities that continue to disadvantage women and the disabled resulting in male dominance in key sectors of the blue economy. In the same way, the concepts of gender equality and equity remain unclear, hindering the effective integration of gender perspectives into sustainable development. It is imperative for Zanzibar's Ministry of Education and Vocational Training to challenge traditional norms and create equal opportunities for women and to clarify and integrate the concepts of gender equality and equity into sustainable development frameworks.