A total of 74 women from the National Corporation of Women in Artisanal Fishing and Related Activities in Chile have received formal certification for their professional skills, as part of an initiative to recognize and professionalize roles historically held by women in the artisanal fishing sector. The certifications, which covered various occupational profiles such as weavers, shell removers, fillet workers, shellfish cleaners, and baiters, were issued through ChileValora.
The process was led by the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism via the Undersecretariat of Fisheries (Subpesca), with support from the environmental conservation organization WWF. In total, 79 people underwent evaluations for certification. These roles are essential to the functioning of artisanal fishing’s production chain but have traditionally lacked formal recognition.
Álvaro García, Minister of Economy and Energy, commented on the progress made since the beginning of the current administration: “what is being done today symbolizes very well what the Government seeks to introduce: greater progress and greater justice in that progress. Since the implementation of the Registry in 2023, there have been 6,600 registrations accepted, and a particularly relevant fact is that more than 70% correspond to women, mainly in activities such as shell removal and filleting. This shows the fundamental role that women play in artisanal fishing and local economies.”
Antonia Orellana, Minister for Women and Gender Equity, highlighted that this certification serves as an example for other Latin American countries: “I have told ministers from across Latin America that we had this area more regulated; they also have women involved in related activities because our continent is surrounded by ocean on all sides but do not have them organized. You are setting an example for all Latin America and others are watching you.”
The certification process took place under Law 21.370 which amended existing legislation to promote gender equity within Chile’s aquaculture sector. The law created a national registry for women working in activities connected to artisanal fishing.
Minister García further stated: “for us, promoting this professional recognition has been a priority because it means defending cultural heritage, dignifying historically invisible trades and ensuring these productive activities are effectively considered in public policy.”
Ximena Rivillo, executive director at ChileValora noted: “certification of competencies allows validation of knowledge and experience acquired through daily work; it opens new opportunities for employment access to training programs while strengthening economic autonomy among workers. It also helps establish standards for quality and safety in key activities within artisanal fishing.”
Subpesca and WWF financed both creation of these occupational profiles and pilot certifications across seven related job types—marking them as first direct or indirect implementers for such projects within ChileValora’s framework.
Development of these profiles was carried out by ChileValora—a public service under the Ministry of Labor—which used a tripartite model involving government representatives employers’ organizations workers’ groups who formed a Sectoral Body on Labor Competencies responsible for defining each profile’s skill units. The aim was to enable those performing supporting tasks linked to artisanal fishing to certify their skills regardless how they were acquired.
