A recent webinar brought together women leaders from Chile, Peru, Mexico, and Colombia to discuss female leadership and collaboration in the artisanal fishing and aquaculture sector of the Pacific Alliance. The event was organized by Chile through the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Subpesca) in coordination with the Undersecretariat of International Economic Relations (Subrei), as part of the Technical Group on Fisheries and Aquaculture’s work plan.
More than 45 women participated in the session, which was moderated by Claudia Puebla from the National Institute for Sustainable Development of Artisanal Fisheries and Small-Scale Aquaculture (Indespa). Participants shared local experiences, identified common challenges, and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting economic autonomy for women working at sea. The event highlighted collective organization as a key tool for sustainable development.
Paula Katherine Triviño Gaviria, director for Women’s Economic Autonomy at Colombia’s Ministry of Equality and Equity and representative of the Gender Technical Group, opened the meeting. She said: “It is important to mainstream a gender perspective across all four pillars of integration within the bloc: free movement of goods, services, capital, and people.” She also emphasized that strengthening female leadership contributes to more inclusive trade and fairer economic growth in the region.
The central panel featured several leaders from member countries. From Chile, María José Jiménez—an algae collector and seafood marketer—noted that collaboration helped accelerate growth processes, provided access to training opportunities, and strengthened recognition of women’s work in artisanal fishing.
Cindy Pandy de la Cruz from Mexico spoke about her experience with a women’s cooperative established in 2020. She stated that legal organization, defined roles, and teamwork have strengthened their aquaculture production and increased visibility in a traditionally male-dominated field.
Reyna Callata from Peru described managing an aquaculture business focused on certified organic trout production led by women over the past decade.
Participants agreed that collaboration not only improves productivity but also increases resilience during crises, supports access to financing, and enhances community cohesion. They also noted ongoing challenges such as achieving formal recognition for women’s contributions throughout all stages of production chains and increasing institutional support on technical or regulatory matters.
The session ended with a call to further strengthen regional networks among women in this sector by fostering cooperation over competition. Organizers encouraged continued exchanges aimed at advancing gender-focused economic integration.
