Abstract:
Mapping gender roles and gender analysis in value chains are essential in understanding different
roles and involvement of men and women in dried fish industry. However, women's contribution
to dried fish value chains are frequently overlooked, and the true advantages of their participation
are seldom quantified. Therefore, this study designed to explore the level of gender involvement,
different roles performed by men and women, and to determine the pay disparities between men
and women. A mixed method approach was adopted employing both quantitative and qualitative
data collection methods including in-depth interviews (n=8), and questionnaire survey (n=30). A
convenience sampling technique was used to select processors (n=20) and traders (n=15) from
Kalpitiya, highest dried fish producing area in Puttalam District, appropriately representing men
and women. Data were analyzed using descriptive method. Women and men involvement at the
processor segment is 20% and 80% respectively. In contrast, the values are 5% and 95%
respectively for wholesaling and retailing. De heading is mainly practiced by men (90%). Cleaning
(60%), de-scaling (90%), salting (75%), washing (85%) and drying (70%) are largely done by
men. Women's activities include de-skinning, degutting, cutting and drying fish. At the
wholesaling segment, sorting and grading is mainly accomplished by men (70%). Male
involvement is prominent in processors and traders segments of value chain in Kalpitiya where
as women participation is marginal may be due to the Muslim dominating socio-cultural
background. Yet, women engagement is substantial in small-scale pelagic dried fish processing
(30%). Accordingly, men received highest daily payment LKR 1750 -2000 and LKR 1200 for
women. Despite the total numbers of working hours are same for men and women, a daily pay gap
of LKR 550 – 800 is noticeable, discriminating women hard work. In fact, it is concludable that the
roles and tasks performed in the dried fish value chains are gendered. Despite the literature
iterated a female dominating dried fish industry, the level of involvement depends on the socio cultural context of the community. However, women labor has been discriminated by paying
lesser daily wage.
