Assessment of Women Achievers in Aquaculture Workshop

        Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers

Objectives

1. Promote the role of women in the sector and enhance their participation in decision-making roles & gender diversity in aquaculture.
2. Clearly identify, and bring to the forefront of discussion, gender diversification issues specific to the aquaculture industry in the European Community.
3. Promote and support the fisheries sector through connecting and networking women in aquaculture. 

Justification

In a global trend of businesses moving towards increasing emphasis on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, women have an essential role to play.  In the aquaculture sector, recent studies and projects have begun to identify the needs, trends, constraints and limitations to women.  However, the existence of such obstacles has not deterred some women from making their way upwards in a predominantly male industry.  Since case studies and success stories are commonly an integral part of the learning process and are a valuable instructional resource, it is proposed to organise a workshop focusing on cases of success in the aquaculture industry, specifically those in which women played a key role.  Comparing these success stories with recent studies and projects on gender issues in the sector, and identifying good practices in leadership, decision-making, negotiations, communication and work life/balance, will provide a solid base on which to develop a framework of potential solutions to the needs and challenges as identified.  While the solutions will not provide comprehensive answers to all the problems, difficulties and obstacles women in aquaculture may face, such a framework could provide significant, tangible examples on which other women in the sector, as well as men in managerial positions, could use for their own business practices. 

Strategy

An intensive 2-day workshop consisting of presentations, case-studies, team-work and a field study is planned, the highlights of which include:

• Presentations exemplifying results from current desktop studies and project initiatives that have identified needs and challenges for women in aquaculture
• Keynote speakers sharing “success stories” specific to three themes: (1) Women in Tourism Initiatives, (2) Women in Education & Research, and (3) Women in Production 
• Participant working groups, using the “success stories” and personal experiences as a starting block, identifying good practice in leadership, decision-making, negotiation, communication and work life/balance  
• On-site case-study of the local operating "route de l'huître" (oyster trails)

Workshop Date, Location and Agenda

The workshop will take place at Forum-Marais in Rochefort (near La Rochelle) in France between 7th and 8th October 2004.  The provisional workshop agenda can be accessed at the Related Files section in the right banner of this page. The participant number is final at 28 and each registered participant will receive a post-event grant as contribution towards incurred travel and accommodation expenses.  Should you be interested in receiving more information on this event, please send an initial email to aquatt@aquatt.ie

Assessment of Women Achievers in Aquaculture Workshop Platform

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