Empower Bolivia’s female fish farmers to boost gender equality and sustainability

July 25, 2025 – A team of local PEP researchers organised an international high-level dissemination event in La Paz to share their findings on how the Peces para la Vida – Empoderamiento y Sostenibilidad (PPV E&S, Fish for Life – Empowerment and Sustainability) programme strengthens women’s empowerment in Bolivia’s aquaculture sector.

A diverse group of 30 stakeholders from across the aquaculture ecosystem participated in this hybrid event. These included representatives from the Ministry of Rural Development and Lands (MDRyT)—specifically the Public Institution for Fisheries and Aquaculture (IPD-PACÚ), the state entity responsible for developing the sector—leaders of producer associations, implementing partners, programme beneficiaries, and academics. Representatives from the Canadian Embassy and Global Affairs Canada also joined, ensuring broad institutional engagement in discussions about the future of gender-inclusive rural development.

A standout feature of the event was the active participation of programme beneficiaries. Female fish farmers, Cintya Castellón, Yaneth Mamani, and Nely Acosta, shared personal reflections on how the PPV E&S programme has changed their lives. Particularly, how the programme has strengthened their confidence, leadership, and participation in production and community decision-making. Their reflections humanised the data and grounded the discussion in the day-to-day realities of women producers.

Research team members Andrea Alcaraz and Víctor Monroy presented the findings and recommendations from their PEP project, an impact evaluation of PPV E&S. During their presentation entitled "Women in Aquaculture: Revealing the Mechanisms for their Empowerment," they shared clear, actionable policy takeaways and underscored that meaningful empowerment extends beyond economic gains to include agency, leadership, and decision-making power.

Among the key results they highlighted:

• Technical and gender-focused training significantly increased women’s empowerment,
• Women’s willingness to lead rose notably in female-majority spaces,
• Context-adapted training improved programme relevance and uptake.

Based on these findings, the research team stressed the importance of multi-component training models that also adjust to local realities, as well as gender-sensitive group environments to build women’s agency, autonomy, and leadership within the aquaculture sector.

A lively discussion session followed the presentations, enriched by the direct exchange between beneficiaries, policymakers, and programme managers. The discussions highlighted how women are increasingly taking central roles in fish farming, improving decision-making within families, assuming leadership in producer associations, and, in some cases, providing technical advice to their communities. Beneficiaries emphasized the challenges of shifting gender norms and the importance of continued training and public-sector coordination to sustain progress. Participants called for stronger institutional strategies to promote women’s participation in producer associations and leadership roles, alongside continued research on gender dynamics in aquaculture.

The session concluded with a forward-looking dialogue to co-create next steps for scaling the PPV E&S approach. Stakeholders explored ways forward such as establishing regional training centres, developing leadership tracks for rural women, and reinforcing gender integration within fish-farming organisations. 

The event was important for positioning rigorous local evidence at the heart of gender-sensitive agricultural policy and practice in Bolivia. Elvis Lizarazu—representing IPD-PACÚ, MDRyT—shared how the Ministry of Rural Development and Lands plans to incorporate a structural gender focus into its fish farming promotion policies to strengthen women’s access to productive resources and decision-making spaces, in line with the team’s recommendations. 

In elevating beneficiaries’ voices and fostering dialogue across institutions, the event demonstrated the continued need for PPV E&S as well as calling for complementary programmes to support human development and women’s empowerment in the fish farming sector.

The research team organised the event in collaboration with the Universidad Privada Boliviana (UPB) thanks to financial and advisory support from PEP as part of the Learning and Knowledge Management Project funded by Global Affairs Canada.