Preparing her small fishing boat off a tranquil Tunisian island, Sara Souissi faces challenges in the male-dominated fishing industry and environmental threats impacting her livelihood.
Despite opposition from men who believed she didn’t belong at sea, Souissi started fishing as a teenager in her family off the Kerkennah Islands near Sfax. “Our society didn’t accept that a woman would fish,” she recalled while hauling a catch onto her turquoise boat.
With Tunisia’s significant coastal presence, seafood is vital in everyday life and as an export, with Italian, Spanish, and Maltese markets being top buyers.
However, a recent FAO study highlighted that women in the fishing sector are undervalued and face challenges such as lack of access to benefits, training, and financial services compared to men.
A workshop in Raoued aimed to promote women’s integration into the fishing trade, but many women attending were there to assist male relatives.
As the Mediterranean Sea experiences record-high temperatures and faces environmental challenges like pollution and overfishing, Tunisian fisherwomen like Souissi are advocating for responsible fishing practices to ensure their survival.
“Staying at home and cleaning? No, I want to keep fishing,” Souissi emphasized while rowing her boat back to shore.
