Editor's note

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented health, social and economic crisis with ripple effects felt around the world. Due to the rapid closing of borders to limit the entry and spread of the coronavirus, only six Pacific Island countries and territories have had cases. While much of the initial focus has been on addressing the health crisis, governments are now looking at the follow-on impacts to different sectors.

Pandemics are not gender neutral, and there is growing evidence that women and girls are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. For example, there has been an increasing concern about the spike in gender-based violence during lockdowns and curfews, with gender agencies and organisations quick to set up helplines. Women are expected to undertake more unpaid domestic work and are more vulnerable to economic hardship. Natalia Briceño-Lagos and Marie Christine Monfort from the International Association for Women in the Seafood Industry explain the importance of using a gender lens to deal with COVID-19 risks and impacts on fisheries and aquaculture. We encourage others looking at COVID-19 impacts to submit articles to the bulletin, so we can all share and learn from your experiences.

Enjoy this 32nd issue of the Pacific Community’s Women in Fisheries Information Bulletin, which includes 16 original articles from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Myanmar. I want to highlight that gender is not an issue that belongs to women, and we have profiled two inspirational men, Enly Saeni from Solomon Islands and Cedric Paniel from Vanuatu, who are strong advocates for gender equality. We welcome a number of new lead authors to the bulletin – Marita Manley, Cynthia Nakozoete, Enly Saeni and Yvonne Wong. Lastly, a thank you to Dr Elizabeth Matthews for assisting in the editing of articles.

Sangeeta Mangubhai

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