Women and girls' contributions to the fisheries sector are often hidden and informal, making them invisible as contributing actors for economic development, key transmitters of knowledge, and change agents. Hence, this limits their potential to benefit from small-scale fisheries economies and become equal contributors to the sector.

This document, “COVID-19 impacts on women in fisheries in the Coral Triangle: A cooperative action plan on working together towards gender equality and building back better” is an output of the CTI-CFF Women Leaders’ Forum “Learning Exchange on Addressing and Coping with COVID‐ 19 in the Coral Triangle Region” conducted on May 25, 2022. The sharing and discussion that ensued during the online event highlighted issues faced by women in the Coral Triangle region during the pandemic and identified areas that need action by various stakeholders in the marine and fisheries resources sector.

The acceptance and adoption of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Policy at the 16th Senior Officials’ Meeting of CTI-CFF on December 16, 2021, was one of the achievements in integrating GESI within CTI-CFF. This means that the GESI Policy will be implemented at all relevant levels within CTI-CFF and in all its activities and programs with member countries and partners.