“NOT JUST FISHERWOMEN, BUT, WOMEN WHO FISH”:

GENDER AND PROTAGONISM IN ARTISANAL FISHING IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AREA NHAMUNDÁ IN PARINTINS/AM

Abstract

This essay addresses the role of women in the context of sustainable initiatives, seeking to highlight the need for public policies that recognize their daily practices related to artisanal fishing, vegetable cultivation, and small animal rearing. These essential activities often go unnoticed in a patriarchal and sexist society. In the lower Amazon region, particularly along the river-sea and within the interior lakes of Parintins municipality, women who engage in fishing, self-identifying as “fisherwomen,” confront numerous challenges as they strive to establish themselves as professional fisherwomen in a predominantly male-dominated field. In response to these challenges, these women have formed partnerships and support networks, coming together to advocate for the revival of sustainable fishing practices within the floodplain region of the Macuricanã lake complex. This complex serves as the primary feature of the APA-Nhamundá conservation unit in Parintins, Amazonas. Within this context, fisherwomen encounter various forms of oppression and discrimination, primarily related to gender and the sexual division of labor. These issues also have significant implications for their access to decision-making spaces and their roles as community leaders.