By Khaila Gentle

PLACENCIA, Stann Creek District, Wed. June 15, 2022

Women from coastal fishing communities will be participating in the fifth ever Women in Fisheries Forum (WIFF) this Wednesday and Thursday. The forum, which will take place in Placencia and Monkey River Village, is being held under the theme “Gender and Climate Change – Understanding the Link” and is a part of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) readiness project entitled “Enhancing adaptation planning and increasing climate resilience in the coastal zone and fisheries sector of Belize.”

The workshop is expected to bring together key stakeholders, experts, and policymakers from the coastal zone and fisheries sectors.

The WIFF’s main goal is to support women in coastal fishing communities in their efforts to utilize their knowledge, skills, and leadership positions to respond to climate change within their communities. It also seeks to achieve an additional four goals: establishing a basic understanding of the link between gender and climate change; highlighting the role of women involved in fishing and the coastal zone sector in responding to the impacts of climate change within their communities; engaging participants in the development of a gender strategy for Belize’s small-scale fisheries and coastal zone sector; and allowing participants to reflect on and identify opportunities for building climate-resilient coastal communities.

The forum is being hosted by the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation (MBECA), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representative for Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Belize; Belize’s National Designated Authority to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).