"Gender mainstreaming is one of the keys to successful implementation of inclusive blue economy policies," said Minister of KKP, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, at the opening of the National Meeting on Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Based on Satudata KKP, of the 1,449,681 people working in fisheries businesses, including fishing, inter-port marketing, fish marketing, fish cultivation, fish processing, and salt farming, 148,221 are women.
Realizing the need to increase the role of women and people with disabilities in the marine and fisheries sector, the ministry has taken several steps, which range from establishing policies and work programs to increasing the budget for gender mainstreaming activities.
Policy stipulations for the measures have included the issuance of Ministerial Decree No.51 of 2016, Ministerial Decree No.43 of 2023, and Ministerial Decree No.84 of 2020.
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The ministry is involving women and disabled people in the program to build modern fishing villages and aquaculture villages, providing free educational facilities to the children of key fisheries actors such as fishers, cultivators and salt farmers, processors, and marketers.
It is providing training in fishing, fish cultivation, and fish processing to disability groups and women's groups.
It is also supporting easy access to capital as well as assisting with facilities for cultivation, fishing, and the processing of fishery products.
"KKP allocates a budget for gender mainstreaming, which continues to increase every year from Rp288 billion in 2021 to Rp662 billion in 2024," he said.
Meanwhile, the deputy director of USAID Indonesia, Erin Nicholson, said that her party, through USAID Bersama Manage Fisheries (Ber-Ikan), is empowering women to become agents of economic improvement and supporters of sustainable fisheries.
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Translator: Sinta Ambarwati, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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