Women leaders representing small-scale fisherfolk in the Northern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa are fighting the legacy of apartheid in the marine sector. During apartheid, the South African government restricted access to marine resources for blacks, harming communities whose livelihoods depended on the sea. Contemporary policy still privileges large commercial operations over fisher-folk. In response, the Masifundise Development Trust organized a forum at which fisherwomen called on the South African government to recognize the unique role of women in small-scale fisheries, ensure that women are compensated fairly, and put forth plans to combat sea level rise and climate change.
