Gender research in Japanese coastal fisheries

Abstract

Fisheries have diverse gendered division of labor worldwide. It is essential to consider the activities and relations of all gender groups to fully understand the social-ecological systems of coastal resource use toward achieving sustainability. Gendered division of labor is also found in Japanese coastal fisheries. However, the number of studies focusing on the gender aspects of Japanese coastal fisheries is limited. This paper reviews previous studies on gender aspects of Japanese coastal fisheries and identified the features of the studies of Japan through comparison with studies in other countries. The results indicate that most previous studies in Japan were anthropological or socio-economic studies focusing on the activities of women. Following the result, three research topics with a gender lens are considered necessary in Japan: (1) studies on social-ecological systems of coastal fisheries with a gender lens, (2) studies on gender-differentiated impacts of fishery policies, and (3) studies on the gender-differentiated vulnerability and adaptive capacity in coastal areas. The future implementation of these studies will avoid the negative impacts on specific gender groups and provide critical insights for innovating sustainable and equitable coastal resource use by exploring gender-based knowledge, networks, and opportunities that have not been fully utilized. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].