Women play an essential role in the fisheries sector of India. They make an immense contribution by engaging in varied activities. They may engage as paid or unpaid workers both in pre and post-harvest activities, in seafood processing plants, as caregivers of the fisher family - maintaining social networks and culture of the community and as members of fish worker movements and fisher’s organisations such as the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers. However, the extent to which interests, needs, and concerns of fisherwomen are given attention is questionable. Because of this reason, the need for gender studies and mainstreaming gender equality in the fisheries sector is highly necessary.

Although women perform a significant part of the activities in agriculture and allied industries, their contribution often remains invisible or understated. This article examines the contribution of women to the fisheries sector in India, identifies constraints and suggests ways to address these issues.