IJIPP

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN THE AQUACULTURE SECTOR AND ITS DETERMINING FACTORS: EVIDENCE FROM MALAWI

Authors

  • Wafula Mang’eni

Keywords:
Women’s Empowerment, Aquaculture Sector, Domains of Empowerment, Gender Parity Index
Abstract

This paper focuses on the status of women’s empowerment and the key contributors to their disempowerment in Southern Malawi’s aquaculture sector. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 285 fish farmers (129 women and 156 men) drawn from five fish-producing districts in the Southern Malawi region (Mulanje, Phalombe, Thyolo, Mwanza and Blantyre districts) and achieved a response rate of 100%. The calculation of the 5DE score for women was conducted using both single women as well as those married and living together with their husbands. On the contrary, calculation of GPI excluded single women and considered only the women living together with their husbands. Hence, the target households with both a man and a woman living together were 106, which was adopted in calculating the GPI index. However, the empowerment level of men in the domains was established with an aim of comparing with women as well as calculation of the GPI index for women. The paper used the Women Empowerment in Fisheries and Aquaculture to estimate the status of women’s empowerment using five Domains of Empowerment (5DE) and a Gender Parity Index (GPI). Furthermore, a Tobit regression model was adopted to establish the determining factors for women empowerment in aquaculture. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study findings revealed that in the Southern region of Malawi, only 15% of women were empowered, contrasting with 59% of men. However, 78% of women achieved gender parity with their male counterparts. Excluding work balance, the A-WEFI for women was 0.8009, comprising a 4DE sub-index value of 0.541 and GPI sub-index value of 0.782. Women in aquaculture were approximately two times more disempowered than men. Tobit regression findings indicated that the effect of access to extension services on women empowerment in aquaculture in Malawi was positive and significant (β = 0.031; P-Value < 0.05). It was also established that the effect of access to markets on women empowerment in aquaculture in Malawi was positive and significant (β = 0.120; P-Value < 0.05). The study results further showed that level of education had a positive significant effect on women empowerment in aquaculture in Malawi was positive and significant (β = 0.120; P-Value < 0.05). Input in productive decisions and leadership notably constrained women’s empowerment, highlighting the importance of decision-making in productive assets and group membership for women’s empowerment. Decisions regarding financial access, particularly access to credit, contributed more to disempowerment among women than men. On the contrary, disempowered men were significantly affected by decisions over the use of income, suggesting limitations in determining expenditure.

Author Biography
  1. Wafula Mang’eni

    School of Economics

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Published
2026-06-19
Issue
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): International Journal of Innovation and Professional Practice (IJIPP).
Section
Articles

How to Cite

Mang’eni, W. (2026). WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN THE AQUACULTURE SECTOR AND ITS DETERMINING FACTORS: EVIDENCE FROM MALAWI. International Journal of Innovation and Professional Practice, 1(1), 52-67. https://ijipp.org/index.php/ijipp/article/view/13

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