Gendered ownership of aquaculture resources: Insights from two villages in Bangladesh

Abstract

Ownership rights are crucial for increasing women’s decision-making power and empowerment outcomes, which in turn will impact household efficiency in agricultural productivity. In Bangladesh, however, there remains a large gendered gap in asset ownership. Unless we use a gendered lens to understand and address this gap, women’s ability to access, use and benefit from innovations that can enhance productivity and income to cope with shocks and fight poverty will remain a struggle. This brief attempts to do just that by using a gender lens to understand the nuanced gaps, perceptions and practices of ownership in aquaculture in Bangladesh and present lessons and recommendations for aquaculture interventions.